Voices harmonize, bouncing off the walls, bright and early, as the show choir prepares to kick start their day. Show choir is an opportunity for individuals to explore their passion for singing and performing. Don’t mistake them for just another choir group. Unlike traditional choirs, this musical group allows you to belt out your favorite pop hits.
“The whole point of the show choir was an additional factor to singing and performance,” senior Bubba Infante said. “It’s a way to just sort of differentiate from choral singing. People just wanted more, they get bored of choir music, singing stuff that was made 70 years ago, and when people sing they’d rather sing something new.”
The show choir is a zero-hour class meaning the class is before or after school in this case, it’s before school every Monday and Wednesday. Because zero hours are classes that get added to an official transcript, students receive a grade. If students join or stay in the class through your junior or senior year the grade they receive becomes weighted.
“The beauty of having a zero hour is that you don’t have to be in any choir classes during the day, and you can be in this,” Infante said. “Singing is so much fun, It makes you happy, it releases so many endorphins, it’s the best.”
The Bowie choir has had a zero-hour for a while called Silver Sound which is for the advanced varsity singers of the choir. They compete at UIL competitions, unlike the show choir.
“My freshman year, I didn’t do Silver Sound,” junior Darby Kendrick said. “I went to the concert when Silver Sound got up and sang their songs, I was like, dang, I want to do that too, so I joined the next year.”
Choir classes can positively affect students by reducing stage fright and Improving lung function but the one that stands out the most to students in show choir how singing releases endorphins.
“It just makes my mood better I sing, like, all the time, and on days where I don’t listen to music or don’t sing, I can feel that I’m in a bad mood,” junior Abby Laine said. “So, then I go home and I sing, and I’m like, oh I am good.”
From singing along to favorite songs in the car to performing in front of a crowd for the first time, the journey of becoming a singer can be different for everyone.
“I’ve been in choir since elementary school,” said Kendrick. “But, I’ve always sung with my mom. It’s not like the easiest thing in the world but it’s for fun, I just want to be as involved in choir as I can.”
”Students get to practice at 7:30 before school and stay for around an hour. They meet in the choir room, and Aaron Bourgeois, the choir director , is also the show choir teacher. Bourgeois has been leading the voices of the Bowie choir for over five years.
“He is really kind,” Laine said. “He always wants us to have fun and enjoy the music, He sees our talent and tries to help us grow on our abilities.”
The show choir plans to add choreography to the singing this is not new for most of the students because of the cabaret shows that choir kids do. The Cabaret Show has been a yearly tradition since the school first opened. This show gives students a chance to perform rather than just a concert. This is how the idea started up to create a show choir.
“Show choir is kind of like our cabaret show,” Bourgeois said. “Our students are, of course, super talented with their choir singing, but when they can put that into pop music and those skills, they get a chance to shine. It’s going to be a lot more engaging overall.”
While the show choir at Bowie is new, it is popular across Texas with over 80 high school fielding a team. It is even popular for middle schools since there are over 40 of them in the state.
“We’ve had probably about a third of the choir program in the class,” Bourgeois said. “I think this is the choir that’s the most different from the regular choirs that we have. So, it’s a lot more exciting in that way too”.
Art can help children explore their emotions through a creative outlet. But according to Bourgeois it can also help teachers understand how students show their inner thoughts.
“I can see kids express themselves in a way that I maybe don’t always see inherently, Bourgeois said. “So, it’s kind of a different level of enjoyment.”
Music has served as a way for artistic expression for decades. What can set music apart is that it can embrace individuals from all walks of life. Witnessing his students’ cheerful involvement in music fills Bourgeois with a sense of happiness and fulfillment.
“I think there is always something to gain from exploring any kind of music,” Bourgeois said. “I’ve had kids asking me about show choir for years. I think it is a great way to explore your love of music and your love of singing, the choir community here is a great one to be a part of.”
Witnessing his students’ cheerful involvement in music fills Bourgeois with a sense of happiness and fulfillment.
“I think it is very special to be in fine arts,” Bourgeois said. “Because you’re able to see students express themselves you need ways to express yourself. I loved the community I had in my high school choir. I don’t have kids of my own or anything, but I care about them like they are. I feel very honored to be a part of that.”
