I sang with the Choirs from the age of seven through when I graduated from high school in 2020.
Well, my mom jokes that I “came out of the womb singing,” saying that my cry sounded more like a vocal run. I was constantly singing when I was little and started writing my own songs at three years old. So, when I went to see my first SLCC concert in Kindergarten, I immediately knew I wanted to be up there some day.
There are too many to name! My first-ever Concert Choir tour at Carnegie Hall in New York City was amazing. I remember walking around the city in my red choir robe, feeling so powerful and strong. Then, out of nowhere, it started pouring down rain. It was like a movie scene. We all had to sprint to Carnegie, and our robes got soaked. We went on stage in wet clothes and sang our hearts out anyway.
It was also very cool meeting kids from all over the world on that NYC trip. We bonded with some kids from Hungary and felt so connected to them through the music, despite the language barrier.
Any time we got to sing “Homeland” is a special memory; that was my overall favorite song. It really hit home when we sang it my senior year of high school because it’s about how though the road has bends and turns, you can always return home to find happiness and joy. That always makes me tear up.
Music has always said for me what I don’t know how to say. It gave me an outlet to be in community with people who loved music as much as I did. When I was a kid, my mom had health problems, so there was a series of unknowns at home. But I knew I could always find a place of solace and hope at the Choirs, and that I would be around people that cared about and loved me.
It influenced everything I do now. I’m the director of music at my church and a songwriter—I collaborate with other writers in Nashville. It gave me lasting friendships, too. There are still a bunch of us in a group chat together.
Mrs. Berner would always say, “Five minutes early is on time.” I used to laugh at that until I was once late for a call time. I was so sad that I didn’t get to sing. I’ve never been late again. It taught me that how you use your time shows how much you care.
It’s a special place where kiddos will grow musically and relationally. There are so many things that I’ve learned from my peers and teachers. In addition to the huge variety of songs, it’ll teach your kids to push themselves as vocalists. Plus, it’s a great place to nurture their love of music.
