I have been singing in a chorus for a large majority of my life now and choosing to sing in college was a no-brainer. Being thrown into the world of the collegiate level choir has proven to be a difficult, yet very fun challenge that has helped me refine certain skills.

1. Balancing

Choosing to continue singing in college has helped me learn to balance my school work, free time, and social life. Having homework, music to study, and friends don't always mesh naturally together. Choir has specifically helped me with this by adding an extra task to my life.

2. Self-Discipline

Singing in the College of Charleston concert choir has been an anchor of sorts. Since I am not a music or voice major, I am taking it as an elective. This doesn't mean that the choir means any less to me and I strive to put in my best effort which means for myself, leaving time to practice my music. In college, the time you actually spend in-class is much less than when you're not in class, so it's easy to just want to chill out any time you're free. Specifically for me, I have to remember to treat my choir music as equally as homework from other classes.

3. Pro-Activeness

I am performing a lot more now than I was in high-school. It's important to plan around your assignments when there's an upcoming performance. If I have a performance and test on the same day I know not to wait until the night before to try and study for that test! I don't advocate waiting until the last minute to study anyway, but it does happen sometimes!

4. Accountability

I sing in a very talented choir. If somebody is off or doesn't know their music it's pretty obvious. If I'm off or wrong that doesn't help my section and is detrimental to the choir. This point can also be linked to self-discipline, but being accountable goes just beyond yourself and impacts others. This also goes for attendance. I make sure to be at every rehearsal and there early.

5. Patience

Patience isn't really something that doesn't come naturally to me. However, there are times when I might get frustrated with myself for not being able to instantly sight-read some hard music or the choir might be having a bad day as a whole. You have to understand that things won't always go great and that if you're behind you just gotta pull it together, practice, and do better!