- High School: Vashon Island High School
- Post Graduation Plans: Attending the University of San Francisco
- Course of study: Business Management
Every once in a while, there is a story brought up at the dinner table about my obsession with singing in the shower or my love for creating harmonies with my Dad when singing lullabies at night. Granted at these ages I was only four or five, but my parents quickly realized that singing wasn’t just a hobby for me, it was a passion that SGC eventually brought to life.
When I was eight years old, I watched the “big girls” perform in SGC. I remember the first time I saw a Carmina concert with Prime Voci. Although it was winter, I convinced my mom to walk to a local cathedral to see them sing. As I walked in, their music filled every inch of the space. There were songs in unison and harmony, major and minor, all coming together to make intricate melodies. I decided then that I was going to be a part of that excellence one day.
I started SGC when I was seven years old, and I immediately felt as if it was a place I had to be. When I first started out in Dolcine, it was difficult to get adjusted to the dedication, discipline, and consistency the choir demanded. This being said, after years and years of rehearsals, performances, and later on, tours, I realized these important values of SGC shaped me as a person outside of choir. It built me persistence when struggling, a sense of belonging when lonely, and overall a place that I felt safe regardless of my school or home life. There are times to this day that I hear Sarra’s words “leave your baggage at the door”. Choir was a place I could go to after long days at school to practice a passion without judgement or negativity. This doesn’t mean that it was always perfect and I had the rhythm right every time, but the most important part is I felt comfortable enough to put my best foot forward to contribute to the community of SGC.
The time I spent in choir not only contributed to my life academically, but also socially as I built connections that I’m confident will last me a lifetime. Having school friends is one thing, but having choir friends is another. With summer camps, tours, and weekly rehearsals, I spent so much time with the girls in my choir that they became sisters that I couldn’t imagine my life without.
Years later, after seeing the “big girls” perform, I experienced my choir moment, a moment where everyone was in sync and performing at our highest level. It was in Llangollen, Wales, at an international music festival. After vigorous rehearsals working on a song called “How Can I Keep From Singing”, we mastered our expressions, dynamics, pitches, rhythms, and all. We walked off stage grinning from ear to ear, proud of the performance we had done, as we embraced each other and celebrated the best performance of that song we had ever done. We celebrated our successes together; each individual had put in so much effort collectively that we made a sound that we hadn’t made prior. The best part about this moment was not only the fact that we made ourselves proud, but that it was clear we had made an impact on the audience and Sarra as well.
Overall, choir taught me irreplaceable skills that prepared me for my life beyond SGC. As I graduate, I’m going to take those skills with me to college and beyond, for this organization truly changed my life forever.