By Lily ’22
The Harvard-Westlake performing arts program, specifically the choir program, is one of the most amazing parts of our school. Each student in the program gets opportunities to grow their musicianship while making new connections throughout their entire Harvard-Westlake experience. There are four choirs at the middle school and three at the upper school, so there is room for everybody at all different skill levels. The memories I made while being part of different choirs have been some of my all-time favorites from my years at Harvard-Westlake.
One incredible aspect of the choral program is the diversity of music we are able to sing. I’ve sung songs in Hebrew, Spanish, French, Latin, and Ladino. Through singing in each of these languages, we are able to learn more about different cultures as well as grow our musical skills to accommodate different styles. We also sing classical songs, jazz songs, and even pop songs. One of my favorite early memories at Harvard-Westlake was when the 7th grade girls chorus all took pictures around campus together that played on a projector while we sang Ed Sheeran’s “Photograph” in our spring concert. Another amazing asset of the choral program is the faculty. At each campus, there is a choral director and a pianist. The students grow close to both of these teachers and are able to get great attention and advice from them. In addition to regular choir, there are more opportunities to further musical growth with different ensembles such as the upper school Jazz Singers directed study, student-led acapella groups, voice lessons, and sight-singing classes.
I think one of the best parts of the Harvard-Westlake choral program is the festivals we are able to participate in, both locally and around the country or world. By far my favorite experience with the Harvard-Westlake choral program was the upper school choir trip to New York City this past February. We had the incredible opportunity of performing at Carnegie Hall, which I would have never imagined I would ever be able to say. We got to work with choir students and expert conductors from around the country and learned so much. Not only did we go for the music, but we also got to explore the city. We stayed in Times Square, visited landmarks such as Top of the Rock, the 9/11 memorial, and the Oculus, and even saw Mean Girls on Broadway. The memories I made on that trip have been such happy moments to look back on and I’m so grateful I was able to have that experience. Additionally, I traveled to Seattle with the middle school choirs where we participated in another festival with choirs from all over the country. We attended master classes, met new people, and explored Seattle. The upper school choirs have also traveled internationally to London and all over Italy in the past few years. These opportunities provide great ways to be exposed to new cultures while learning music and bonding with friends.
Not only does the choir program provide great opportunities for learning music and growing skills as a musician, but it is one of the best ways to make new friends and connect with them. Whether you’re laughing in a practice room with friends during class, in an acapella rehearsal during a break, grabbing lunch with new friends after a festival, running around a fun city, or getting ready together before a concert, new memories and new friendships are always being created.
