I could never be a music teacher. Ever since middle school, I have had this strange fear that I would end up teaching music to a bunch of students and hating my life. Thankfully, I plan on majoring in Communications, so somehow resulting as a music teacher would be a stretch.

Freshman year, I contemplated every day whether I should quit chorus because I was terrified of the intensity that Mrs. Waters gave off. Needless to say, it was a stark contrast to the experiences I had with the ever-patient, relaxed middle school teachers.

With my voice trembling, I somehow made it into the female a capella group, Ladies First. I started to actually connect with people who had similar interests and performed at wonderful events and showcases.

By the end of freshman year, I decided that as much as I disliked freshman chorus, being able to sing in Ladies First was worth the pain of enduring that class.

Junior year came with my acceptance into another a capella group, Algoncapella. This gave me another outlet to experiment and make even more friends with similar interests. Also, to clear things up, there isn’t any beef between the a capella groups.

This year, I was the co-leader of Ladies First, which became my main outlet for all of the music theory taught by Mr. Vincent during my sophomore year.

Being part of an all-female music group throughout high school has been empowering. Over the past four years, I have experienced extreme growth in the strength and talent in my peers. I have watched these young women struggle with parts or arrangements and work for countless hours, determined to make the performance their best. They truly inspire me.

Although my patience and stress intake have been tested through this position, I would not have traded it for the world. Seeing these individuals transform has been so rewarding. Maybe being a music teacher wouldn’t be so bad after all.

I know now that Mrs. Waters’ passion for her students’ success is what drives her teaching style; in fact, I have looked forward to going to chorus every day this year. While my high school career is ending, I will forever carry the experiences and knowledge I have gained by being apart of Algonquin’s music program. Had I dropped out of chorus freshman year, I would not be the same person I am today.