Coming together, creating tunes Choral students reflect on bonding trip

A handful of choral students, who are active members in the Harmonics, were given the opportunity to visit Towson University for its annual choral day.
Seniors Jacob Thompson, Sydney Tulp, Kayleigh Gallagher, and junior Max Henkel traveled with Miss Angela Jones to experience what music programs would be like in college should they choose to pursue singing past their high school career.
The Towson University Choral festival brings hundreds of students to the campus annually for a day of collaborative rehearsals, masterclasses, and final performances.
The students got to experience a tour of Towson University, that included multiple music rooms, the main cafeteria, and the stage where they would later perform the pieces they practiced with other choirs.
Senior Jacob Thompson is an active participant in the men’s choir, the Harmonics, and the 2018 fall musical, The Wizard of Oz. Thompson reflects on this “eye-opening” experience as he describes the routine that his classmates followed that day, “I had the incredible chance to meet the Towson choral directors and students who love to sing [just] as much as I do,” Thompson continued, “We started with warm-ups, transitioned into sectionals, and split up based on various vocal parts including bass, soprano, alto, and tenor.”
Thompson reviewed his meetings with other students from high schools all around Maryland, “The cafeteria was so huge. It was cool to sit with other singers and musicians and hear their stories about how they fell in love with music and the arts,” Thompson revealed, “We rehearsed our song choices shortly after lunch to prepare for our final performance while remembering the tips and tricks given from Towson’s choir and students who were newly considered friends.”
Jones believes that the experience “gave [my] students a sense of what chorus looks like after high school,” and added that “We had such a nice day with everyone else who passionately participates in singing and we all had a great time gaining some tips from professionals who teach college level courses.”
Students who attended this educational event have a better idea if they want to continue with musical elements of the arts during their time in college. They also hope that this field trip will continue in future years for high school students who are interested in what goes on behind the scenes, who will also have the chance to create songs with some “amazing” directors.
Thompson viewed the festival as a learning experience and believes it was “definitely a moment to remember forever.”
Towson University