I have been in choir for eight years and it has been the best eight years of my life. I intend to continue choir all four years of my college life. Why do I spend hours of my life dedicated to this art? Well, friends, I will tell you why in the five reasons below:

1. You get to make new friends

I cannot tell you how many of my friendships began all because of choir. We end up spending an hour to an hour and a half every day (or every other day) for a whole semester singing together. Eventually, you'll need to talk to some of these people. Better yet, since music is a language that everyone understands and resonates with, you're able to make conversations and connections with people through the songs that you sing.

2. The "performance" energy is real

You work for countless hours and then the time comes. Everything that you and your choir has worked for comes to this moment. The adrenaline of performing and realizing the impact you're making through the music you are singing is intoxicating. Nothing else matters except for the music. All the notes you've stressed about somehow fall into place as the director lifts his wand and you start to sing. At the end of your song, the baton goes down and the audience erupts in loud applause. If you're lucky, you may even get a standing ovation. It's the greatest sense of achievement ever. You can't help but smile.

3. You get to learn new languages

During my eight years in choir, I have sang in so many new languages. Some are Latin, Spanish, Italian, German and French to name a few. It's amazing the amount of text not in my native language that can still resonate within me and still be relatable. It's amazing to be able to bring this language to life and try and get the audience to come along with us on our journey.

4. Singing is good for your health!

Singing releases oxytocin, the chemical that helps manage your stress and anxiety. You are scientifically happier and less stressed when you sing. It's a great way to release that stress and anxiety after a long and horrible day.

5. CHOIR NERDS ARE THE BEST

Welcome to the dark side. We have cookies. For real though, choir nerds are amazing. They talk about favorite composers, pieces and even keys to sing in. You can complain about how you hate the dissonances that Anton Bruckner creates in his music and they understand. They sympathize when you talk about how much you hate switching from 4/4 to 6/8 time signature in the middle of a piece. Choir nerds get all the musical struggles.

Overall, I can't say I've ever had a bad choir experience. I've had some trying times, that's for sure. I've had pieces that challenged me as a singer, but that's part of the fun. Being challenged to try new things and step outside my comfort zone is what makes me love choir the most. So, my friends, if you're looking for a challenge or something new to try, come join choir. It's the perfect way to make your life better!