1. Fremd Choir
When I was first scouted by my high school’s choir director during sophomore year, I couldn’t have imagined how transformative the next few years would be. Sophomore year was a pivotal year in my high school as I made the change from an uncertain violin major to Voice major. Hearing about my change in future plans, our school’s choir teacher had urged me to audition for choir, but the year’s auditions were already over. Hence, I waited until my junior year and I got accepted into my high school’s most advanced choir – Chamber Singers, and stepped into an ensemble of diverse voices and even more diverse personalities. Through our choir member’s equal ambition within all of us and singing various pieces from gospels, acapella, to baroque classical songs, we didn’t just grow as individual singers—we developed a unified sound that carried both precision and emotion. As I became more involved, I began to understand the art of blending—how to listen closely, match tone and phrasing, and to breathe as one. Now, as a senior and the soprano section leader, I guide sectional rehearsals, taking note of our strengths and the areas that need refinement. It’s deeply rewarding to help shape not only our sound, but also the sense of trust and collaboration that defines us as a choir.
2. Singing as a guest artist
The end-of-season concert of our Jazz band, Jazz and Java, is not an ordinary concert. Our performance resembles a jazz club, with our band playing on the floor and the audience sitting at round tables. Ushers also act as waiters and take orders for coffees and small cookies so that the audience can enjoy the concert as they would in a cafe.