From February 20-24, the JP Stevens Chamber Choir performed at the American Choral Directors Association (ACDA) National Conference in Cincinnati, Ohio. As the most selected choir of JP, the members of the ensemble worked tirelessly to produce the utmost quality work to be presented at the conference. They were one of eleven high school choirs selected from across the country to perform at the prestigious conference.

The ensemble’s director, Mr. Matthew Lee, found out about the ensemble’s acceptance to the National Conference in July. He was delighted by the news and the honor to present a performance of such a high caliber. To prepare for this performance, a diverse program of around six challenging and interesting songs (25 minutes of music total) was selected. These songs also represented the theme of the conference, “A Place of Belonging.” Therefore, when Mr. Lee was selecting a repertoire of songs for the conference, he started with songs that had to do with inclusion, such as the immigrant experience.

After selecting the repertoire, the Chamber Ensemble had to strictly adhere to a timeline to learn songs before the conference. Members had time to practice in their Chamber Ensemble class during the school day as well as an hour a week during rehearsals. To ensure that the choir was prepared for the conference, Mr. Lee would allot class time for students to go into sectional rehearsals in order to learn the music better. 

The most challenging part, however, was to understand the music and its underlying meanings. For this reason, Mr. Lee decided to reach out to the actual composers of each of the pieces such as Reena Esmail and Saunder Choi, who agreed to speak with the ensemble over Zoom. Interacting with these composers allowed the ensemble to really understand what the composer was thinking or feeling when they wrote the piece. Finally, in the days leading up to the conference performance, a send-off concert and in-school concert were scheduled to allow the ensemble to be accustomed to performing the entire set from start to finish.

On February 20, members of the ensemble traveled to Cincinnati, where they had rehearsals at a church and spent time with each other at the Cincinnati Aquarium and the Buca di Beppo Italian Restaurant.

The third day of the trip was the day of the ensemble’s performance at the Aronoff Center of the Arts. On the morning of the performance, Mr. Lee delivered a pep talk to his students to relieve some of the students’ nerves. He explained that the performance was not only about all their hard work but how the repertoire told a story about belonging somewhere and how the ensemble carried the responsibility of telling this story. In addition, Mr. Lee advised the members to listen to each other to make sure that they blended, tuned, and emoted into one ensemble. 

“On the actual day of the performance, we made sure to keep our voices well-rested as well as making sure we had enough sleep,” said co-President senior Nikhil Mula. “I knew we had done everything we could up until that point, so as the stage fright washed over me, I reassured myself with the knowledge that we were ready. By the time I walked onto the risers, my excitement outweighed my fear, and I was ready to perform with everything I had.”

When the final song, “United We Dream,” began, several members and Mr. Lee became overwhelmed with emotion and began crying. After the conclusion of the song, the audience rose to their feet to give a standing ovation. 

“When I finally collected my things and met my students in the coat room, they suddenly erupted into euphoric cheer and applause,” said Mr. Lee. “When we exited the stage door we were met by a few of my friends who were at the conference who gave me the biggest hug. My family was there too and my mom and sister said that they were so proud. On the way to our bus, I was approached by people who were in the audience who thanked us for delivering such an emotional, moving performance. One choral professor from Maine even told me, ‘Thank you for reminding me why we do this.’ In summary, I couldn’t be prouder.” 

Following this performance, the JP Chamber Choir continued to enjoy their time in Ohio with activities such as playing at Dave and Buster’s to celebrate their successful concert and exploring the National Underground Railroad Freedom Center. The choir members also had an opportunity to listen to other choirs performing during the concluding three college choirs and one middle school choir. Afterward, the group had the opportunity to see a captivating performance by the Jason Max Ferdinand Singers, a professional group that sang a variety of different genres. 

 “I learned so many things, and was introduced to different kinds of music that the other choirs were performing,” said co-President junior Casey Decker. “Because of this trip, and learning about the different kinds of music, and the impact it makes on people, it makes me want to become a choir teacher even more.”

Overall, both Mr. Lee and the members of the JP Chamber Choir learned many lessons throughout their performance and their trip to Cincinnati, Ohio. They are excited to prepare for their future events and performances.