Every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, a hundred girls pause their days to make music and memories together. Headed up by a talented and enthusiastic conductor, Dr. Hibbard, the girls adore challenging themselves and learn new lessons each day. At the beginning of September, they were 100 strangers with 100 different backgrounds; now, they are a strong and vibrant choir.
Coming from an all-girls high school and as a lover of choir, there wasn’t a question to whether or not I would audition-it was something I couldn’t wait to audition for. I auditioned on the day before move-in day and anxiously waited for the results. About a week later, I stood with friends I had met days and minutes before and, to my excitement, I would be a part of this choir.
My experience thus far has been nothing short of incredible. And I’m not alone. Other girls say, “Dr. Hibbard is such an elegant lady; everything she says could be quoted”, that the choir is “bubbly and lovely”, that we are “a community of like-minded individuals coming together to share their love of music and one another”, and, of course, “We sound really good!”
The teamwork in the room is infectious; when there’s a difficult part in the music, we don’t give up. We work together to figure it out support each other at every step. It’s because of this teamwork that Christianson Hall of Music is full of empowering women during these rehearsals. Each singer and director is determined to change the world and make a difference. Going to rehearsal three times a week is not only a learning experience, but one that is inspiring and exciting.
Do I know all of my choir-mates’ names yet? Definitely not. And I probably won’t until the end of the year. But that’s what makes choir so special-we have a bond that’s indescribable, and I can’t wait for the next 8 months with the Manitou Singers.