by Ava McElhone Yates ’17
The Williston Northampton Middle School is happy to introduce a new program for its students. Each student is required to choose either band, orchestra, or chorus to participate in. The school is excited for this program to develop and blossom. The chorus consists of seventh and eighth grade boys and girls and is led by Ms. Cathy Kay. It is run very much like any other class at the middle school (meeting three times every two weeks), except it is much larger. Sixty-five students are currently participating in this activity.
The number of students this year is fantastic!” says Ms. Kay, the chorus instructor. “(It) encourages some students to sing out who might be shy in a smaller group (and) having a large group also creates a bigger overall sound which feels so powerful. It allows us to divide the group into several parts with each part still feeling big.”
As predicted, the size of the chorus is ideal for dividing into groups, which can be very helpful with certain types of music.
We will sing music of many styles. Traditional folk songs from around the world, rounds, and some songs from today’s popular music,” Ms. Kay said. With that in mind, it was time to turn to the student body. After conducting a poll (with answers from ½ the chorus) the general conclusion was that the students were most excited to sing pop music (92.3% of the responses). The students were also questioned about their past experiences in a chorus. Only 55.6% of the people who responded said they had sung in a chorus before.
When I saw the data, I was surprised that there were so many respondents who had not yet sung in a chorus before. It makes me even more convinced that we are on the right track by providing this opportunity for middle school students to sing. I was not surprised that the vast majority of students are hoping to sing pop music. The familiar is comfortable. I am excited that, in addition to singing some familiar pop music, students will also enjoy exploring other types of music they don’t yet know as well, like classical, world, and folk,” reasoned Ms. Kay after seeing the data.
As the students gear up for a performance at the end of the trimester, so does Ms. Kay. “Every school should have a chorus and for a long time, we haven’t had that (at the Middle School). Singing in chorus is such a wonderful, energizing, fun way to express ourselves. I want every Williston student to have that opportunity.” Not only will the students take away the experience of being in a chorus (new for many), they will also learn about healthy voices and reading music. Ms. Kay still remembers songs from her grade school, and hopes that these students will have the same experience when they grow up.
The students gave lots of feedback in the poll including specifics as to what they would like to sing in the future. In a mix of specific songs and ideas, students mentioned they want certain unlisted genres, songs they can enjoy and engage in, and some challenges.
The future holds many events, performances, and rehearsals for the Middle School Chorus. With the words of Ms. Kay in mind, the students will remember that “singing is something they can always do,” and that this is just a start that for some will lead into interests that broaden beyond the doors of the middle school.
