When the Chelsea High School Choir was offered the chance to sing the National Anthem at the Detroit Pistons game, it felt like a distant dream. What started as a vague idea from their choir director, Ken Davis, quickly turned into a reality. After auditions and rehearsals, the choir is set to perform in front of thousands, marking a moment of pride for both the group and the school.
“It makes me and our whole choir feel special and recognized as a hardworking class,” freshman Claire Vaquera said. “We are all very proud of ourselves, yet still very grateful.”
Being part of a smaller community where the choir is often overlooked, senior Hannah Schwarz views this as an amazing opportunity to showcase her class choral skills to a wider audience.
“Choir has always been something where we stay at the school and do concerts, and that’s it. We didn’t get any gigs or anything this year,” Schwartz said. “So this is perfect.”
This is a huge event with large numbers, but Schwarz is more than prepared because she knows her choir members will be there with her, supporting her all the way.
“Some people are a little bit freaked out, but I find comfort in numbers,” Schwartz said. “So having 30 people singing with me makes it a lot more settling.”
On the other hand, Vaquera is feeling both nervous and excited. This would be one of her first major public performances, and she is determined to be as prepared as possible. She continuously practiced the delivery of the National Anthem to ensure she was ready when the big moment arrived.
“I am feeling both nervous and excited. I think that most of the choir is feeling that too,” Vaquera said. “To calm my nerves, I will prepare myself before doing warm-ups or even just taking some deep breaths.”
As Vaquera reflects on the significance of this milestone, she recognizes not just the excitement of the event but also what it represents for their growth and potential.
“To me, it means that as a choir we have made it far enough in our singing to where we are able to perform at actual sporting events and in professional settings,” Vaquera said. “And that just encourages us as a whole to excel and keep bettering ourselves for more very cool opportunities like this one.”
