If you go to the chorus room on Wednesday or Friday during lunch, you’ll hear the sound of the low voice choir, Coro Profundo. Senior Nyles Deloatch is the conductor of Coro Profundo. The choir is largely student-run, which separates it from the rest of the choirs.
“Coro Profundo is a VPAA low voice choir featuring altos, tenors, and basses, led by myself and Ms. Pinto,” said Deloatch.
Deloatch is passionate about choir. He considers it something more than just a high school thing and more central to his sense of self.
“I love choir, because it allows me to explore cultures, languages, and humanity all through music, along with a diverse group of people,” said Deloatch.
Deloatch’s love for choir creates a positive atmosphere in his classes.
“I think Nyles is a light in the community; he has a special way of making everyone feel connected with one another,” said senior and SCA Secretary Ava Saunders.
Even outside of choir, his welcoming spirit is noticed.
“I have VTFT with him, and other people look up to him and ask him about vocal events while we’re in there,” said junior Magdelana Kress.
Deloatch has wanted to pursue a career in music since the moment he joined the vocal strand. He hopes to be a high school choir director in the future, so getting experience now helps fuel his passion and puts him ahead of the game.
“Nyles is passionate about vocal, which makes him perfect for the job; he just loves what he does,” said Saunders.
As an effective leader, Deloatch tries to get everyone in the vocal strand involved in activities outside of their regular classes. He thinks it is especially important to get new members out of their shells and involved in vocal strand events.
“[Being part of the Vocal Strand] taught me how to work with a diverse group of people towards a common goal,” said Deloatch.
In a choir, it’s important to have a strong conductor. Without one, a choir will become disorganized and dissonant. Ava Saunders notes that Deloatch’s leadership outside of the choir influences his leadership in choir.
“Nyles and I both serve in SCA, and seeing him outside of just vocal just kinda shows how good of a leader he is overall. He has a talent for making people feel included,” said Saunders.
Overall, being an effective leader takes more than just leadership skills — passion gives a person the motivation to make the group they are leading something great. Deloatch has a passion for choir, and getting involved in it throughout high school has paid off, giving him a leadership position in one of the most important things in his life.
