Choir is loved by many students here at Shadow Ridge. Mr. Halvorson is the choir teacher and he has worked at Shadow Ridge for 10 years. He found his passion for music and singing throughout his adolescence and his high school career, he also had the idea of becoming a band director. When he got to college he joined the choir and the experience made him reconsider his future career.  

Mr. Halvorson went to St. Olaf College in Northfield, Minnesota, which is regarded as one of the top choral ensembles in the world. He graduated with a BA in Vocal Music Education.  

“I grew a love for music at an early age. My dad started singing Barbershop Harmony ensembles when I was 5. I loved listening to the sounds of the harmonies and would go listen to his rehearsals as a kid,” Mr. Halvorson said. “That cemented my love for music and singing. I also loved playing in a band and played saxophone all the way through college. Music has really just been a major part of my life,” Mr. Halvorson ended. 

Mr. Halvorson has big ideas for this current school year. This fall Shadow Ridge has 14 of its brightest students performing in the CCSD High School Honor Choir. This is a huge honor for the students and this group will be the largest group of students that have ever made the Honor Choir from Shadow Ridge. 

Most of their fall concerts are based mostly on folk songs and familiar melodies that allow students to build a strong vocal and musical foundation from recognizable songs. A number of their tenor and bass singers will sing in the festival down at Desert Oasis High School in October. From Thanksgiving to Winter Break, the Chamber Singers will also sing a number of caroling performances in the community, winter concerts are usually seasonal favorites.

Mr. Halvorson has many techniques for battling the difficulties that come with singing. Learning music is like learning a new language, so Mr. Halvorson puts efforts into helping his students build a great and strong foundation. When Mr. Halvorson notices specific issues in a student, he will work with them in small groups and independently, and work together with the student to help them develop solutions, to help them integrate into the group more easily. 

Junior, Aaron Morgan shared, “I really like his choir because it’s more than just singing boring music we actually make the music.” 

In class, Mr. Halvorson tries hard to make choir fun and an enjoyable experience. Students and teachers take a lot of pride in how students support one another at Shadow Ridge, Mr. Halvorson believes that, “Singing is just another way of talking. If you can talk, you can sing.” 

One of the best parts about this program here at Shadow Ridge is that they have an ensemble at every skill level, where students can enjoy learning how to sing in a supportive environment.