A record breaking number of students went to Carnegie Hall as part of the international choir this year.
“Never more than one person from our school went in a single year, but this year we had five of us,” senior Mac Sheforgen said. “It’s a product of a really strong senior class.”
Along with Sheforgen, seniors Madison Berndt, Wyatt Angell, Marcos Lira, and Ellie Riekhof got accepted into the international choir.
The students were given six songs in December to learn, with the help of choir director Ryan Holquist.
“They basically have two months to learn the songs on their own, and then I help them as needed. It isn’t like a choir class. It isn’t like we sit down and use class time to rehear, to learn, and rehearse these songs,” Holmquist said. “They actually have to spend more time on their own outside of class doing that.”
The event was held at Carnegie Hall, and more than just the United States attended the event.
“I think there were 200 kids that made it,” Holmquist said. “There were not representatives from every single state, but I know there was probably besides Kansas. The most actually came from North Carolina, this time from Canada, Great Britain, Ireland, and Mexico.”
Riekhof said how the event just felt surreal to her, that she couldn’t believe she was there.
“There was some incredible people from all around the country and different countries, and they were just interesting to meet,” Riekhof said. “Like in California, Canada, or places like New Jersey that I’ve never even experienced before.”
Riekhof said she was so anxious to apply that she almost missed the deadline.
“I was more excited and nervous because it’s such an incredible opportunity,” Riekhof said.
A couple months later, the students found out they had made it and soon faced the financial burden of the cost for the trip.
“Fundraising for that was a lot and took a lot of my time, and we had to write fundraising letters and send them to people,” Riekhof said. “Then get the money back and calculate it and put it all together, and then pay for all that.”
“They worked on their own fundraisers. We did a couple extra concession stands in the fall, and I also wrote a personal fundraising letter to help them raise money,” Holmquist said.
Event sponsors took students to various tourist locations, on a river cruise, and Broadway shows.
“Some people went to ‘Wicked,’ some people went to ‘Little Shop of Horrors,’ and then I went to ‘Buena Vista Social Club,’” Riekhof said. “We also went to the Broadway Museum and that was really cool. We got to walk through and see all the Broadway musicals and the history behind it.”
Their hotel was right on Broadway in Times Square.
“We walked outside and we’re instantly in Times Square,” Sheforgen said, “with all the big billboards and flashing lights and everything.”
The event lasted for five days, giving the students a few days to rehearse their songs.
“It’s another level of professionalism,” Holmquist said. “The discipline it takes to prepare on your own and then show up in the biggest city in the United States, ready to work with people you’ve never met, with a director you’ve never met, that’s incredible.”
