"What were you involved with in high school?"
"I was in show choir, so I really miss that."
"Show choir...? Wait, isn't that like 'Glee'!"
...If you have ever been a part of show choir you get this conversation. No, show choir is not like "Glee". No, I promise it is not lame. Yes, we are actually good. No, it isn't easy. Yes, show choir was one of the best times of my life.
Six-12 hours a week of rehearsals, spending from 8 a.m. on Saturday morning to 3 a.m. on Sunday at competitions, the countless amounts of extra rehearing, the singing, the choreography, the itchy costumes, the late nights, the drama, the sequins, the bobby pins, the heels, all of it. I wouldn't trade it for the world and I would do it all over again if I could. I am so proud to say that show choir defined who I was in high school and taught me so much along the way.
If you are reading this and are either in show choir now or was in the past, these are some reasons why show choir will always have a place in my heart.
1. Singing is something I will treasure for the rest of my life. How lucky am I to have been in a program where I could sing challenging music and be able to express myself daily.
2. Dancing has been such a big part of my life that I can't imagine going without it. Through all of the long, sweaty rehearsals, somehow you always manage to clean all the choreography and make sense of what in the world your choreographer has in their scary heads.
3. Until you experience it for yourself, you can not fully grasp all the emotions performing gives you. I am so thankful for all the times I was given the opportunity to perform in front of an audience. One minute you are so nervous you could cry, and the next minute the lights are on you.
4. When you are in show choir you become a part of one big, happy, dysfunctional family. You will fight...quite often sometimes. But you will also laugh a lot and occasionally cry together. You will spend more time with your show choir family than your blood-related family during show choir season. And no matter what, in the end they will always have your back.
5. Your director is pretty much a second mom/dad. Most of the kids in the group already call him/her either mom or dad whether it is on purpose or on accident. Your director truly is the best; it isn't a myth. If you were as lucky as I was (which you probably weren't because my director was the best...sorry!) my director is still to this day one of my biggest role models. He taught us so much more than how to sing and dance at a really excelled level. He taught us life lessons through something we all loved: music. He took so much pride in us, always believed in our abilities, and there is no way we could do anything without him.
6. The choir office was your locker/home at school. What in the world would I have done without the choir office to eat lunch in, spend my study halls avoiding homework, or hide from the scary reality of high school and your also sometimes scary peers? The choir office became such a safe place for me and saved my existence in high school. There were millions of laughs and memories shared in that space and may it live on forever.
7. The relationships I made with people during the three years I was a part of show choir will always mean so much to me. Some I won't talk to very much anymore, and some might even be in my wedding. Nevertheless, I met the most unique, special, kind-hearted, and incredible people through show choir and I could not feel more blessed to have them in my life. I wouldn't have made it through high school without their support, laughter, and ability to make me smile!
8. You learn more than just music in a group like mine. You learn self discipline, hard work, to rely on others, teamwork, leadership, and so much more. I was blessed to have directors and choreographers who, although they were talented in teaching great, difficult skill sets, were also interested in making us better people along the way.
9. No one understands your show choir problems anymore. For example, how emotional singing your ballad can get. Or how about explaining show choir drama to someone who wasn't in show choir. Not many people know the pains of show choir like your fellow choir members did.
10. Last, but not least, I truly believe I am a better person inside and out because of it. I believe show choir is the reason I am who I am today. Don't get me wrong, I also learned how to do my hair and makeup, wear heals, and strut my stuff in glittery dressed. However, I think the confidence and skills I gained win in the end.
If you are reading this and you are a show choir alum, you understand and miss everything about it. If you are in show choir currently, cherish all of these moments. If you aren't in show choir and you have the opportunity to...audition now. It will be the best decision of your life.
As a music education major, music will always be a part of my life. However, show choir will always have a place in my heart as the place I found who I was and what my passion was meant to be. I will forever cherish the moments made, friendships built, and the music created.
