We can all agree that one of the best parts of our world today is music! An art that has been seen, or should I say heard, for centuries. Music comes in all forms and sounds. But before we had instruments and computers to make music, we had our voices. To be able to sing or take the place of an instrument. All through history, singing has been a very important part of culture, family, entertainment, and skill. But the best part is that anyone can sing! This is where choir comes in. Chorus is one of the places where we can see teamwork with one another. Working together to make music through our voices and minds. But they’re not only sounds and tunes, but stories told from different perspectives. A different version in every person who hears or experiences it.
This year in choir, we have worked on many songs. One of the earlier songs that we had learned and sang was the American anthem. While learning and singing this song, we learned more about what the anthem was and what it means to us. Allowing us to show our love for our country through our voices and being able to share our teamwork at the gold tournament.
Another song we have learned that is one of my personal favorites is called Dies Irae. This is a Latin song composed of many parts and pieces. We have learned a small piece of this song and learned its history of this song. The song has a darker tone to it with the fluctuation through tone, truly showcasing the talents of every section working together. This song is about the day of judgment. Though in the beginning of learning this song, many could tell you they were unsure if we would be able to sing or do this song. But we pulled together and put in as much work as we could. With all of us singing together and working together, it truly is an amazing experience to see and feel.
But another portion of the choir class is not only what we get to sing, but how we get to sing it. Throughout the year, we work on topics to be able to grow and expand our knowledge about the choir in general. An example of this is sight reading. Sight reading is an important part of music in general. It’s a whole language and interpretation on its own. We have learned in groups to be able to read this. Starting from being able to see the key signatures to being able to now read notes and tones. This can help in many places. Say you want to pick up an instrument and to be able to learn it? Sight reading comes into play. This will teach you the very basics of music. Though each instrument has slight variations in sight reading.
But most of all, I find that the class is more fun with a teacher like Mr. Whaley. For learning to sing in front of your peers, it can be seen as embarrassing sometimes. You may get scared of the judgment or more. But Mr. Whaley is a teacher who makes us all feel comfortable. He is always encouraging and pushes us forward. Mr. Whaley is a teacher who makes everything fun and enjoyable to learn and experience. After every song, you can always see a smile on everyone’s face. Though sometimes the fun can get out of hand, Mr. Whaley keeps us on track and on key. Each class, we can come out saying that we have felt more and more confident from that one class. Through it all, I really would like to thank Mr. Whaley for giving us the courage to be able to shine through our voices. Giving us opportunities to be able to be heard in any way or form. Music is not only for entertainment, history, or storytelling. Music is a form of love to be shared by all.
