WVHS chorus students visit, inspire 8th-grade counterparts

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WVHS chorus students visit, inspire 8th-grade counterparts

October 28, 2019

A group of high school students presents to a class of younger students in a music roomWhether it’s curiosity or passion that draws students to chorus in middle school, there is nothing like a sense of the possibilities to get them to hearten their resolve. 

This morning, during an eighth-grade chorus lesson in Mr. Peters music room, high school chorus students gave their younger peers a vision of what is possible, indeed. Perhaps most meaningful were the connections the older and younger students experienced through their shared love of singing. 

Lead by music/chorus teacher Noreen Hanson, high schoolers sang to the eighth graders and talked to them about the chorus offerings they can look forward to, and the opportunities for various choir sections. 

“We thought this would be a fun way to showcase the possibilities of the high school choir programs,” said Shane Peters, a middle school High school and middle school students singing together in a music roommusic/chorus teacher. “Having the high schoolers sing with the eighth-graders did amazing things! They saw for themselves how they can grow and sound like in high school. They were so inspired, they wanted to keep on singing and match their older peers’ volume and tone.”  

While the more experienced singers sought to encourage a deeper choral interest in their younger counterparts, they emphasized the “feeling of family” that comes from being part of a chorus, and the potential for personal as well as musical growth in a place where it’s safe to be yourself and take risks.  

The eighth graders returned the high schoolers’ friendliness by performing a piece they are rehearsing for their A chorus class singingupcoming concert. Before they parted ways, the two groups joined their voices in one song. 

“We hope that this kind of exchange can help motivate and retain students in our choir programs,” Ms. Hanson said. “We will also continue to experiment with combined rehearsals as a way to explore the creation of a unified, district-wide choir.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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