GPA's very first show choir placed with all 1's at District, and with 1's and 2's at state.
First-Year Show Choir Excels at District and State
“Shake it Out,” by Florence & The Machine is the song many of us have heard sung by the GPA Show Choir here at assemblies and the auction.
They practiced a lot on all of their songs to make it to the State TAPPS Solo & Ensemble Competition last month. Our premiere show choir sang this song, along with three others at District, receiving all one’s.
The brand new choir didn’t stop at District. Advancing to State, they sang “Only Hope”, “I Need Thee”, “Shake it Out”, and “Brighter than the Sun”.
At State, they won placed with a 1 and two 2’s from the three judges. The music scoring system is limited to a 1 (Superior), 2 (Excellent), and 3 (Good). The fact that they received such high scores for their very first year, is an accomplishment worth noting.
Their individual events got superior ratings as well. Although the show choir is new this year, they realize that they are limited vocally because they have no males in the choir, but still placed competitively with other schools’ full choirs.
The show choir consists of Freshmen Hannah Roh, Kenley Machen, Sarah Peck, Sophomores Lilian Storm, Ruthie Mcready, Ashley Ray, Jacqueline Waller, Mallory Chapman, Juniors Avery McFarlin, Kimberly Selgrath, Hanna Brown, Katy Duke, and Seniors Kaitlynd Satterfield, Rachel Guess, and Lizzy Walsh.
All these students have talent that they wouldn’t be able to harvest and cultivate without the help of Choir Director Wendy Smith.
Smith has worked with elementary students here for several years here to produce and direct Christmas musicals. Smith has taught this high school choir many new skills as well.
“We have an amazing teacher,” said Freshman Sarah Peck.
Our school is not equipped with a typical stage, with sound monitors, so in order to help them hear themselves better, Smith has been known to ask the girls to stand in the school stairwell to sing, where they can’t help but hear.
“That was a crazy idea, but it worked,” said Walsh after singing in the stair well.
Aside from filling our school with music, Smith also teaches chemistry and anatomy and physiology here.
Smith has put much time into the girls’ success. The girls sang at every opportunity given to them.
Smith even sought some opportunities out for them, by auditioning them for singing the National Anthem at a UTA Maverick’s Basketball game. They got the part and sang on October 30th.
