Everyone makes their voices heard in different ways. Some make speeches, some write poems and stories and some sing songs. Together, 92 students make their voices heard through ShowStoppers, Aurora, Concert Choir and Chamber Chorale.
In Aurora, students improve their sight reading while also learning vocal techniques for their first concert and discussing how better performances can be achieved with choir teacher Evan Ayars.
“We focus on our vocal techniques like having strong vowel sounds and blending,” senior Bill Huang said. “Besides vocal techniques, we also work on sight reading. When we learn new music it helps to pick up the song easier.”
In order to participate in choir courses, dozens of students audition, preparing for the music given to them for the audition. Ayars decides on their levels prior to the start of school.
“During the audition, we sing a song that Mr. Ayars picks, and we have to sight read and then Mr. Ayars hears us singing and decides where we should be placed,” freshman Lynn Otto said.
Choir isn’t attending competitions this year. Instead, they are working on preparing their voices for next year.
“Last year, apparently Chantilly got completely blown out of the water, so we are working up to that,” freshman Elliot Youngs said. “We are slowly and very steadily improving our sound so we can blow other schools right off their feet.”
Many seniors in choirs have taken the course for two or more years and some of them are already planning to continue singing in college.
“When you are in college, there’s acapella groups you can join, you can sing in a choir and you don’t need to be a music major, you can still take choir classes,” Ayars said.
The choir gives many concerts throughout the year, occasionally all of the choir classes work together for concerts. They encourage everyone in the school to go to the concerts. Choir has already started working for their first performance for this year, the Chantilly Pyramid Concert on Oct. 23-24 at 7 p.m. in the CHS auditorium.
“I would want them to know that our concerts are free except for holiday spectacular,” senior Thea Brown Hargrove said. “You should totally go to the concerts because they are really fun. There is a lot of good music, plus Mr. Ayars tells the best jokes.”
