Despite growing classes, Choir finds harmony
September 30, 2009
A 6-foot tall senior passes a chair to a diminutive sophomore, motioning him to get ready for Choir teacher Evan Alparone’s routine warm-ups. Upper-classmen and lower-classmen alike rush to the center of the room, preparing to sing along to the jaunty chords rising from the piano.
In most classes such a motley group of students working together would be rare, but in choir, it’s business as usual.
With the choir program having grown to include 100 students, the classes are making an extra effort to bridge the gap between the lower and upper classmen. The amount of younger students has motivated the choir veterans to do their part in getting everyone involved in the class.
The need for interaction between everyone in choir inspired several students to form what is called the Choir Council, a new group in charge of organizing class events.
“We try to make sure our fellow underclassmen are singing in a comfortable environment,” said senior Neil Enriquez, President of the Council.
According to Mr. Alparone, the upper and lower classmen must establish a constructive relationship with one another in order to have a successful choir. “Singing is meant to be with other people, as a sort of communication,” he said.
Creating this bond isn’t always simple, thanks to the traditional barriers that tend to exist between classes. While most juniors and seniors wouldn’t go out of their way to help out lower classmen, choir students see the need to be the exception.
“Singing requires confidence,” Enriquez said. “A person needs to be more comfortable with their surroundings if they want to develop.”
On September 12, the Council organized a retreat to Half Moon Bay in order to promote communication between students who normally wouldn’t talk to each other in the class.
“It was to our benefit,” junior Monica Santiago said. “We were able to form the relationships necessary in order for us to be more familiar with each other as a choir.”
“It used to be really awkward,” said sophomore Andrew Herce. “The retreat helped break down the walls that used to be between us.”
These relationships extend beyond just retreats, and have made their way into the classroom as well.
Sophomore Joseph Culaton describes himself as naturally shy, and appreciates the efforts of the Council. “The upperclassmen try to get us out of our shells and sing with everyone else,” he said.
As great as this newfound camaraderie is, it wouldn’t mean much if it didn’t help the class. With the growing number of students in choir, it could be hard to stay productive.
Luckily, the students seem to have risen to the challenge. “We’re more focused now,” Santiago said. “So hopefully that’ll work to our advantage.”
Alparone anticipates this focus will pay off, since he plans for the choirs to participate in more events this year, like the Golden State Choral Competition – a goal he expects a unified choir program will do well in.
But school comes first, and Alparone says he’s more than satisfied with how his classes are growing closer.
“Peer mentorship is important in high school, and it’s good to see it being constructive.”
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