At Hamburg Area High School, there are many cool experiences and opportunities for musical students, including the Senior County Choir.
Donovan Merrick, a junior who recently auditioned and was accepted on October 20, explains that it is an “opportunity to perform in a concert choir alongside kids in grades ten through twelve from schools all across Berks County.” And in order to get in, one must perform an audition in front of judges and get accepted based on how well one did.
Donovan Merrick’s most memorable experience, even though he has only played once or twice, was performing with all the other performers, about 100 of them. He notes that it is “an amazing experience,” and when he sang, he felt “like a star bustled in a constellation.” When it came time for preparation for the audition, Donovan put hours into practicing and often had to use his study hall periods to practice in the music room. The hardest thing he had to do during this time was practicing and preparing to sing. Even though he practiced hard for his audition, it was hard for him to get over his anxiety, but since he has done it many times, he has become used to being on the stage. “The whole process is tiring and demanding, but it’s also incredibly worth it,” he says. Donovan’s biggest takeaway from his experience is learning new things about both his choir singing and improving his voice. The feedback and scoring the judges gave were extremely helpful for him.
Elizabeth Grim, also a junior in high school, is very excited for the Senior Count Choir. During her audition, her favorite part was the community she was exposed to. She says she loved “to be around my friends practicing, riding the bus together, and singing our hearts out to songs from different musicals on the way home.” Before auditions, she would always be in Mrs. Jackson’s room, which is the room all choir students go to to practice, to rehearse and work on her audition. She explained that she was very grateful for the public audition and the judges, being able to sing in the Senior County Choir, and being with other students who share her passion.
