The Lakeview High School choir department is enacting some changes to better the program and experience for the students and community. Megan Mullins accepted the position as choir director at the high school in 2021 and has done her best to bring her fresh ideas to life. With the help of the Choir Council, Mullins works to engage the community in exciting events and fundraisers throughout the year. The Choir Council includes President Avery Jones, Vice President Clo Wagner, Librarians Jacinta Sutliff and Olivia Menz, Concert Choir Representatives Connor Walker and Lauren Brown, Madrigals Representative Kathryn Powell, A Cappella Representative Ashley Graczyk, Tri-M Representative Ethan Baker, as well as two 8th grade Representatives that have not yet been determined. 

Senior Ethan Baker says, “Most of the changes we are doing is we’re trying to get more involved throughout the school and trying to get more people involved with the choir. That’s our main goal going through the 2022-2023 school year!”

One of the biggest changes in the choir program this year is the lack of a Madrigals Feast, an annual dinner and performance put on by the choir department. 

Mullins explains, “COVID has hit the arts, specifically choir, very hard. We are still rebuilding from this and lacking in men singers is a main component of the reason for no Madrigal dinner.”

To replace the Madrigals Feast, the choirs will join St. John’s Episcopal Church near the YSU campus in Youngstown for their Boar’s Head Feast. The group will sing with their choir and participate in their program on January 8th, 2023.

In addition, the department is introducing the Showcase Concert, which will allow students to audition for solos, duets, or small group numbers to showcase their talents and song choices. This concert will focus on a new theme each year, to which the performances will adhere.

Mullins describes the Showcase Concert as, “our big, final, fun concert at the end of the year.”

Another exciting performance that will be introduced this year is the fall concert, An Evening in Jazz. This will be a unique collaboration with Lakeview High School Band Director Nathan Sensabaugh and the Lakeview High School Jazz Band. The concert will feature the 8th Grade Choir, high school Concert Choir, Madrigals and the Pop A cappella group, as well as a Jazz Band feature number.

Sensabaugh says, “This concert is an opportunity for our students to be exposed to situations they are not used to. Concerning the Jazz Ensemble, it will teach them about the role change of accompaniment vs melodic material and how to adjust for each.”

The music department also made a big leap into modernizing Lakeview High School’s program with the introduction of their new Pop A Capella group. 

Mullins explains, “They are an a cappella group performing music from more popular genres from oldies to any trending songs popular today.”

The group currently consists of 9 singers – a mix of Lakeview High School and Trumbull Career and Technical Center (TCTC) students. Rehearsals are every day during 7th period and after school on Tuesdays. 

Senior Avery Jones says, “In my opinion, the choir adding our pop a-capella group gave us a nice jumpstart into pivoting into a more exciting musical experience.”

The addition of the Tri-M Music Honor Society furthers the development of the choir program. 

Mullins describes the organization as “A new student group geared towards high achieving students in the realm of music. It is essentially a National Honor Society for music students and is a nationally recognized organization through the National Association for Music Education (NAfME).” 

The Tri-M Music Honor Society is open to both middle school and high school students that meet the GPA requirement. They also must audition before being inducted into the Society. The Tri-M name is derived from the group’s original title “Modern Music Masters.”

Jones says, “I think the addition of Tri-M will work in our favor as we try to become a more serious musical group.”

Anyone wanting to see the choir department in action can attend the Homecoming Game on October 7th at Don Richards Memorial Stadium. The choir will be singing the National Anthem and Alma Mater prior to the kickoff at 7:00 p.m.

Other upcoming performances include the OMEA Honors Choir on October 21 and 22 at Stambaugh Auditorium, OMEA Chamber Choir at Lakeview High School on November 15, Fall Virtual Solo and Ensemble, In-person Solo and Ensemble, and the Cedar Point trip in May. 

Please consider supporting, in all aspects, the ongoing growth and excellence of the Lakeview Choral Arts Department by becoming a patron. The support enables this department to provide increasingly enriching experiences for our young people, to educate them in a cultural sense and to help them better understand community involvement. Patron’s names will be printed in all 2022-2023 choral programs. If interested, please contact Mrs. Megan Mullins, Choir Director at [email protected].