District Chorus Day

Liz Vex, Staff Writer

Morris Knolls is lucky to have a wonderful, established music program. The quality of its productions is not only attributed to the teachers, but the wonderful musicians that put in the time to learn the music and create something great as a community.

District Music Day is no exception. To continue this program, it is imperative that students from the middle schools are able to experience what it is like to be a part of this, so that they continue pursuing their musical interests in high school. As the biggest recruiting day of the year, students from middle schools all around the county join Morris Knolls and Morris Hills in full day of singing, laughing, creating music and friendships.

Each of the student singers in chorale were excused from school for the entire day. Arriving to the Choir Room in the morning, they learned a couple of pieces to teach to the middle schoolers throughout the day. Then the Morris Hills advanced group arrived, they practiced a combined piece together, had one final music rehearsal, and then the middle school kids arrived.

As the kids walked into Morris Knolls all of the singers greeted them with smiles and enthusiasm that they all gladly returned as their excitement for the day flourished.

Once everyone arrived everyone was separated into the four sections of the voice: Soprano, Alto, Tenor, and Bass. The rest of the day consisted of time working with Mr. Semancik, the Choir director here at Knolls, and the choir director at Hills on music that would be performed later that day. All of the students learning music and creating friendships helped inspire a new generation of singers to enter the Morris Knolls and Hills music departments, which is part of the reason that these programs are so successful.

The day ended with a concert at one, where parents came to watch a preview of what each of the high school choirs would be singing in the Winter Concert, to watch a combined piece between the two high school choirs, and a couple songs (with solos from the middle schoolers) that went without a hitch.

This day, is just the beginning of all of the amazing things we do in the Choral Department at Morris Knolls. From traveling the world, to going to Disney World, to Traveling to Boston for the ACDA Convention, to Performing at Carnegie Hall, the opportunities that are available to a student in these programs is unlike anything else. If you’re looking for an amazing class that fills the arts requirement, or you just like to sing, this program is amazing and awesome days like this just remind me why.