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Show Choir

This post is personal for me on many levels.  It's a  throwback to when I was a fresh-faced kid who lived a dream and had the guts to pursue it despite my self-doubt.  Now the stakes were raised because Sarah is following my footsteps with joining show choir.  In my college days a zillion years ago, I was a member of Sinclair Singers, Sinclair Community College's prestigious show choir.  This was a scholarship-based group that was comprised of twelve members:  six guys and six girls.  You had to audition to get in and let me tell ya the competition was fierce.  The audition consisted of a prepared piece of music and a short dance that we were taught and then we had to replicate.  I knew some talented singers and dancers that were in choir that had auditioned and didn't get in for a variety of reasons.  By the grace of God I was accepted; despite doubts from myself and a family member.  This person told me they thought I was wasting my time because I had never done anything like this before and they were unsure of my singing ability.  I'm glad I blocked out that noise and gave it my all.  I had the time of my life and I am still in contact with some of the former members to this day.

Let me rewind this a bit to set the scene:  Sarah was performing with her 6th grade choir for a Christmas concert.  Her choir took a break to allow the 7 and 8th grade show choir, called First Impressions to perform their holiday set.  As First Impressions sang and danced, I noticed Sarah was watching with rapt attention and she had "that look" on her face:  she liked what she was seeing and she wanted to be a part of that group.  That was EXACTLY how I met the Sinclair Singers.  I saw them perform during a concert and I wanted to be a part their action.  Towards the end of her 6th grade school year, Sarah announced to Paula and me that she wanted to audition for First Impressions.  This is how the conversation went:

Sarah:  Daddy, I want to try out for First Impressions.
Me: Cool.  When is the audition?
Sarah:  Tomorrow.
Me:  Do you have your piece selected and ready to sing?
Sarah:  Nope.  I'm going to grab some music from the music room and wing it.

I advised Sarah to not get her hopes up.  This was her first audition for the group and I know the competition for girls is high for these kinds of activities.  I told her to do her best and I believed in her.  I got a call from Paula at work the next day.  Sarah had made it into First Impressions!  I joked with Sarah and told her that I would have been prepared for weeks and would have bombed my audition.  She auditioned on the fly and made it.  If she had any fears, she never expressed them.  Not once!  

When I saw her that night, she was positively glowing.  I read her welcome packet and realized she needed character shoes, which was no sweat.  She was also going to be fitted for a dress, which was black and had blue sequins on the bodice.  Sarah loves to twirl in her dress to make the skirt fan out to its full glory!

This past week, Sarah had her Christmas concert where First Impressions was going to perform.  First Impressions sang "Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree" and Santa's Rockin' Around the Clock".  First Impressions also wowed us with an a cappella version of "Jingle Bell Rock".  Being a show choir veteran, this Daddy was just BEAMING with pride and my heart swelled with love.  Sarah had a smile on her face from start to finish and was one hundred percent in it to win it with her energy.  She even got to twirl around a few times to show off that dress of hers!  Paula and I could not have been more proud of her!  Sarah had told me after the performance that she gets such rush when she performs.  I have NO idea what she is referring to.....RIGHT!

I do hope she wants to stick with this as one of her creative outlets.  I think she will because I once theorized that once you do something like this, it's in your blood.  With a huge ham for a dad, and a vocally dynamic mom, Sarah had a lot to draw from and will be a total asset to the group.  Vocally, Sarah does sound like Paula.  Crisp, high second soprano with an ear for tight harmony.

For your viewing pleasure, I am going to share with you her performance with First Impressions.  Enjoy!

First Impressions


For this second clip, the combined 7th and 8th grade choirs are performing "Silent Night".  This song is my personal favorite Christmas Carol and I can't sing it without shedding a few tears.  These talented young ladies and gentlemen took this beloved classic and elevated it to a work of art.

Silent Night



I want to wish each and everyone of you a blessed and Merry Christmas and a wonderful New Year.  God's peace to everyone!      




Comments

  1. J. NovyDecember 21, 2014 at 4:44 AM

    Brian, this is just wonderful. I was in Choir from 5th-12th grade, but not in college. I know what you are talking about, when referring to the "rush". Now, I never wanted to have a solo or anything, I liked being a small part of the whole, so to speak. I am happy for you and Paula, and I am glad Sarah has found something that she enjoys. Kudos to Sarah on so many levels. She has wonderful parents to back her up, and she has a great head on her shoulders, as well. Great job, Sarah!!!

    ReplyDelete

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