Student choir expands to the high school
Reese Thompson, Reporter

For the first time ever, choir is available to high school students. Originally created for the middle school in 2016, the choir is now open to both schools.

Eyrnne Smith has taken over the choir to ensure high school students have an opportunity to sing as they progress through their education.

“As a music teacher, I actually kind of found it shocking that there isn’t a choir program here on the island that is part of the school district.,” Smith said.

Smith believes that a choir can and will benefit the island. Her background will help accomplish this goal.

“Since I have the certification in Chorale, as well as general music and instrumental music, I’m actually able to be a choir director, so I’m trying to build the program to where it would be able to become a during the day program.”

By joining the choir, students can become involved in a whole other community.

“When I was in middle school and high school, the place that I found my tribe, my group of friends, my comfort zone, was in choir,” choir founder Holly Boaz said. “That was my favorite place to be, the place where I felt most safe and most comfortable in the middle school and high school environment.”

High school can be very mentally taxing, and Boaz hopes that, by joining choir, students will be able to reduce their stress.

“Singing in a choir is good for your mental state and your stress level,” Boaz said. “It helps develop skills that can help you do better in school, in math, in creative fields, in areas where you have to work as a team with other people.”

Both Smith and Boaz are hoping and excited to see the program expand.

“The more numbers that we are able to grow, the more we are able to prove to the school board that this is a viable need for our district,” Smith said. “I would like to see this program grow enough to where it could be like the band program, where it’s offered during the school day, and that [it] can be another musical choice for classes.”

Students interested in joining the choir can email esmith@vashonsd.org with their name, primary email address, and parent information.The choir rehearses every Wednesday from 2:50-3:45 p.m. in the McMurray Middle School lunchroom.

“You don’t have to be a great solo singer; that’s not what choir is about,” Boaz said. “Choir is about making music together as a group and working as a team.”