The Honor Choir for high school students involves passionate choir members who want to take their careers to the next level. Some of these students who are in the program are three seniors. The section leader for Soprano 2, Lindsey Cleveland, Soprano 2, Kyla Witterwer, and lastly, Alto, Crystle Burns are three of the senior choir singers who made it to the ensemble this year.
Lindsey Cleveland getting accepted as a section leader with her family and Mr. Halvorson (courtesy of Lindsey Cleveland)
When she first heard the news of being a section leader, Cleveland was scared.
“It took a little bit of time to get used to the role. Before the first rehearsal, I was very anxious,” Cleveland stated. “But once I got to meet the other section leaders, I became more comfortable and less anxious. I’m so excited for the next concert.”
Being part of The Honor Choir is worth it to these students.
“Honor choir has taught me so much throughout the years. It taught me how to work hard, dedicate myself, and commit to something bigger,” Cleveland said. “Honor Choir is full of many challenges that can be very intense. Every year, it increases my musical abilities and skills.”
Witterwer loves being part of the ensemble and can’t wait to spend time with kids who share the same passion.
Lindsey Cleveland and Kyla Witterwer after their first performance of the season. (Courtesy of Lindsey Cleveland and Kyla Witterwer)
“Being in the Honor Choir means a ton to me. It’s such a wonderful experience to be able to make music with 200+ kids who love making music as much as I do, despite all of our differences,” Wittwer stated. I appreciate being able to meet new people while doing one of the things that I love the most, singing.”
“These three ladies are consummate students, musicians, and leaders. Their performances are shown with an elite work ethic and attention to detail. I love how they challenge me as a teacher to bring the best of myself to class every day.”
— Mr. Halvorson
The choir teacher at Shadow Ridge High School, James Halvorson, is very proud of these three students for representing the school.
“The honor choir is like being selected to be part of an All-Star team. Students are competing against over 400 singers from across the district. The CCSD Honor Choir has one of the hardest and most challenging audition processes in the country. This means making it into this ensemble shows a demonstration of high-level musical skill,” Halvorson said. “If a student becomes a section leader, like our Soprano 2 student, Lindsey Cleveland, it is a huge accomplishment for she scored the highest of all sopranos in her section across the district. It’s our second year having a student represent our school as a section leader for the honor choir and it’s great.”
Throughout the years, Witterwer has learned a lot about music since she started participating in the Honor Choir during junior high.
“I have been in the honor choir since middle school and it has been crazy growing up and seeing my improvements each year,” Wittwer said. “Honor Choir has taught me that in life, no matter how different everybody is, if you have a common goal in mind, it makes working with others so much simpler. However, as a singer, it has taught me to trust those around me and find ways to balance work and fun.”
Being in the honor choir has been a privilege for many dedicated students who love making music at Shadow. Halvorson has seen how people who joined this ensemble loved being part of it and enjoyed the experience and lessons it taught them. Although it can be extremely daunting, sometimes giving in to fears can be extremely rewarding and beautiful in the end.
