Senior Maria Nagaria’s dedication to music has earned her a spot in the prestigious All-Eastern Choir.
Nagaria first started singing in fifth grade, attending Saint Mary School in Shrewsbury. She later continued to pursue her passion at Algonquin and is currently a part of the Chamber Choir, plays piano for Jazz I and is treasurer of the Tri-M Music Honor Society. With all of her hard work, she has now been selected for the All-Eastern Choir: a three-day convention at the Connecticut Convention Center in Hartford, Connecticut with students from the Northeast. To be selected, Nagaria had to be recommended last year following her acceptance into the All-State Choir. When Nagaria learned the news in chorus class, she was thrilled.
“Everybody was really happy for me, and then it slowly started sinking in just how fun this is going to be,” Nagaria said.
Nagaria feels the best when on stage, doing what she loves, singing.
“If my parents take videos or photos of me, you will always see my face lit-up smiling because it’s just a happy environment,” Nagaria said. “I have never experienced anything like it.”
Fine and Performing Arts department chair Amy Collins describes Nagaria as a dedicated student and leader in Algonquin’s music program, praising her achievement.
“She is wonderful and an overall incredible person,” Collins said.
Although Nagaria loves to sing, there are still some challenges when it comes to auditioning in general, and especially for All-State.
“I always get really nervous when I’m auditioning,” Nagaria said. “I know the stuff, I’ve practiced, but I get really nervous and that is definitely a mental block.”
Regardless, it is always worth it to Nagaria at the end when she is up on stage and sees all her work paid off.
“I cannot even express to you how fun it is when finally, after all your practicing, you are standing up there with 200 other people, and then you sing, and you can see these huge smiles on everybody’s faces,” Nagaria said.
Being in the concert hall and singing alongside her peers is a feeling that Nagaria will always love.
“You can feel the music vibrating on the walls,” Nagaria said. “It feels like the music is tangible, and it’s just the best feeling in the world.”
Although Nagaria will not pursue music or singing in college and beyond, it is still something that will continue to be part of her life.
“[Music is] something really important to me,” Nagaria said. “I know that I don’t want to do this in the future, I don’t want to do something that is going to associate music with stress. I still want it to be a fun hobby of mine, so I’ll definitely keep playing, definitely keep singing.”
