On Saturday, November 2, vocal students from the Performing Arts Strand woke up early and made their way to Plaza Middle School for District Chorus Auditions. As they entered the building, they greeted each other with a smile before eventually heading to a waiting room. Many of the students were nervous that morning as they walked down the pale halls, talking and playing on their phones to relieve stress before the auditions.
Students were told to gather in the cafeteria to wait for VPAA chorus teacher Corbin Pinto, before reporting to the auditorium for warm-ups. Most of them woke up before 5:30 that morning to get ready for the audition. After a few piano scales, each section ran through the “Nature Song” one last time before heading out of the auditorium doors into the fray.
“I was kind of nervous when I went in, but when I started singing, I felt fine,” said senior Niara Ashburn. “I was one of the first in line, and I only had to wait about fifteen minutes. I noticed that the other singers behind me were nervous.”
Many students noticed that their scores were much lower than the norm after receiving them. The students, along with Mrs. Pinto, agreed that the judges had scored the entire district harshly.
Ashburn didn’t seem discouraged about the lower scores. In fact, it made her want to improve her score for upcoming auditions.
Sixty-eight students made the All-District Chorus. Congratulations.
