Carlmont’s very own Highlanders choir is preparing for its second festival of the semester, and with it comes many challenges and lots of fun.
The Highlanders choir is open to all students, with no audition or prior musical experience being necessary. This means the student population within this choir group is of all grades and experience levels.
Preparing for this festival since the beginning of the semester, the Highlanders choir was prepared to perform at the festival on Friday, April 21 in Mountain View.
“We have been working on this set of songs since the beginning of the semester, so I would say about three months,” said Madeline Howard, a freshman in Highlanders choir.
Howard has a solo in the upcoming festival. Her solo has been her priority within the past three months of festival preparation.
“There are certainly challenges that come with singing a solo, but it’s very fun to work on,” Howard said.
There are other benefits that come with performing at a festival, such as the choir getting judged and further educated on their singing by adjudicators.
“The festivals are basically an opportunity for us to perform and get adjudicated by three different judges that are really well-respected conductors in the choir world. The cool thing is that we get a clinic afterwords from them that help the students improve their singing ability,” said Genevieve Tep, the Highlanders choir teacher.
Tep is responsible for most of the organization for the Carlmont choirs. She has to set up transportation, food, permission slips, and chaperones. She isn’t the only one able to overcome the challenges the choir faces, however, as they have many volunteers that help.
“All of that stuff gets a little complicated, but actually preparing the music, positions, time, all of that is actually pretty easy because we do it in class every day,” Tep said.
Tep mixes teaching the students with preparing for the festivals, so it’s easier and more effective for everyone. Tep encourages students to come to the festival to watch the Highlanders choir sing.
“People should come to the festival because you get to see a bunch of different choirs perform, and we’re going to be getting notes from the adjudicators there. If anyone is interested in joining the choir elective, it gives them an idea of what things people tend to look out for,” said Ryan DeBargar, a senior in Highlander’s choir.
