Middle School Choir Sings Their Way to High School

Fair Grove Middle School has started a Fifth through Seventh grade choir this year, and is off to a great start. In years past the only opportunity available to middle school students was the Singing Eagles, run by Mrs. Sparks in the elementary, for fourth and fifth grade students, and the eighth grade choir class. “The way it was, 5th grade was still able to be in Singing Eagles, but Mrs. Sparks would lose a few each year because they didn’t want to do things with the elementary. Then once they were in 6th and 7th grade there was no opportunity for choir, meaning they lost those two years of practice because there wasn’t a class for it,” said Mrs. Harmon, the choir director.

Students began rehearsals on August 25th and have been practicing Tuesday and Thursday mornings from 7:30 AM to 8 AM since. They are currently practicing a piece called Who Has Seen the Wind, “They are learning the music very fast, and I have been very impressed with the amount of dedication they are showing,” stated Harmon.
Harmon also hopes to give high school choir members a chance to help mentor middle school students and have the opportunity to conduct. When asked her opinion on the high school participation, Meagan Winder (junior) commented, “I think it gives middle school students a chance to see what they need to work on, and it gives high schoolers an opportunity to conduct and learn more by teaching the middle schoolers.”

The middle school choir will not be participating in any competitions this year, but within the next few years Harmon is hoping to travel to competitions held in Kansas City and St. Louis, “I know this year will be a learning year for myself and the students. That being said, it is already going well and I cannot wait to see how much they accomplish during this school year.”