Golden valley to host annual show choir program

Spring time has arrived at Golden Valley High School and the show choir program is in its ninth year. Kerry Riccio, the program director, is pumped for this year’s competition season. Something new this year is that there are two different show choirs: novice and intermediate. Intermediate show choir has been preparing long and hard for competition season and with it arriving, the pressure is on.

Senior Samie Gebers is in her third year of the program and is also part of the intermediate show choir. With it being her last year, she’s definitely feeling excited yet nostalgic. When asked what was one fundamental thing she learned from being in the program, she couldn’t choose one thing.

“I’ve learned to communicate. You learn to accept people for who they are. Everyone is just one big family,” she said.

Many students, including senior Joe Barilla and freshman Haley Prucha, said that they gained confidence from being in show choir.

“Show choir helps you build confidence, especially if you’ve come from a sheltered place before high school,” said Barilla.

The program has served as a creative outlet and safe haven for students from all different walks of life. Mrs. Riccio is a strong believer in having the students treat each other with respect and caring at all times.

“The family atmosphere grows and strengthens each year. I always tell the kids they don’t have to like each other every moment, but they must love each other and have each other’s backs,” said Riccio.

One would assume that with their being two show choirs the tensions would be high, but like Mrs. Riccio said, her choirs are all one big family. The intermediate show choir supports the lower level fully.

“You can learn the basics in novice and then move into advanced, and bring what you’ve learned and help others, if necessary,” said junior Ryan Watson.

When asked what novice performers could work on, sophomore Faith Jeffries offered up that they could “… learn how to blend a little more, voices and personalities. Everyone is different but we’re a family all the same.”

This year, the Show Choir has accomplished some amazing things. Those accomplishments includes placing first at the Cyprus competition and third at the Los Alamitos.

Jeffries and Eriel Brown won Best Performer at perspective competitions. Jeffries at Cyprus and Brown at Los Alamitos. Winning these titles made each girl proud and honored, but they brought it around and said that although they placed as best performer they’re still more proud of the show choir as a whole.

When asked what some things are that helped them achieve their accomplishments Brown stated, “It was tough love from their leaders and just hard work put in by the choir as a whole.”

On their agenda for the remainder of the school year is a huge trip to Carnegie Hall in New York for Golden Valley’s Women’s Choir. While in New York, they will be preforming as well as sight-seeing.

It’ll be exciting watching what the two show choirs as well as the other choirs end up accomplishing this year and the coming year.

-Charisse B. Atherley and Daniel Patino