Perfect Harmony

by Lindsay B., Friendswood Junior High student

Being a choir member might make me a little biased, but my favorite part of the convention was hearing the Strack Intermediate Choir sing. The tone and blend of their voices were amazing, and I would have been happy to sit there and listen to them sing for a long time.

After the choir warmed up, we talked to two of the choir members, Jenna and Bevin. Both girls are eighth graders in show choir, and Jenna is the president of the eighth-grade choir. We asked them how their choir had made their sound so amazing, and they attributed it to a variety of reasons. One factor is lots of practice. Also, they have choir every day, and the show choir, called Sensations, meets before school every Tuesday and Friday. While they have only been in the school choir for two or three years, Bevin's been singing since she was four years old. Jenna said they practice on their own as well. I'm amazed—they are really dedicated to their choir. I thought I practiced a lot, but I've probably never sung for more than an hour a day on average, and they each sing for at least ten hours every week!

The most important thing to their sound, though, has nothing to do with music. It has more to do with living in harmony. Bevin told us that when the girls aren't all getting along, they can get way out of tune. Both girls agreed that the choir members have to take corrections and suggestions from other members in an agreeable way, or their sound will fall apart. This is a new idea to me, but it makes sense, and I think it probably applies to every choir. I might even suggest this idea in my own choir. We have a tendency to get gripey with one another at times, and if we really try to stop, our singing will probably improve too.

I'm very glad I got to hear the Strack Intermediate Choir. It was a real treat, and I learned that living in harmony and singing in harmony go hand in hand.