For many students, there comes a time when they decide their desired career path and begin to work toward it. Some choose to focus on sports, hoping to make it big on a college team and become famous or wealthy. Others spend their nights and weekends studying furiously in order to achieve a scholarship to a college of their choice.
Although musicianship is different in many ways from other preferences students take, it is another path they can take. Senior Tyler Combs decided to focus his time and effort into this area.
Combs first took an interest in music as a young boy in first grade. Although he does not recall most things from early on in his life, he says he distinctly remembers not wanting to do any choir performances or rehearsals.
This approach to choir music continued until junior high, where Combs claims he had a revelation of sorts. He began to think he would like to continue through his trek in music and possibly make a future career out of it.
“Music has taught me things about myself that other activities would not have,” Combs said. “It’s shown me what I’m good and not good at. I’m confident that if I had tried something like sports, I would have found I wasn’t very good at it.”
Five years later, Combs is now finishing his second to last semester in high school and has sung in five choirs: the Fresno Pacific University choir, the Fresno Christian choir, the Fresno Christian Ensemble, the Bach Youth Chorale and the Fresno County Youth Choir. He also provides vocals for the FC worship team.
Combs tried out for Fresno Pacific’s concert choir through recommendations from his voice coach and previous choirs; he has now been a part of the group for a semester.
“It’s been a blessing that has been given to me that gives me a constant check in humility,” Combs said. “I don’t want to get too big headed about it or myself.”
Combs feels that, like sports or any other activity, choir can be used to bring people together.
“I feel that choir is a substitute for team work,” Combs said. “It’s a great way to socialize and build team mentalities. When it really comes down to it, everyone’s working for a single purpose.”
Combs aspires to become a music director with an ultimate goal of returning to Fresno Christian as the choir teacher.
“The sheer versitality of choral music is always interesting, and I find music to be one of the easiest ways to get connected with God,” Combs said. “It hits the nail on the head when it comes to worship and I feel that coming back here would be a good way to jump start the music program.”
Senior Alex Aleman, who has sung with Combs for the past 13 years, takes pride in her friends accomplishments, and believes she benifits from his dexterous musicality.
“He’s extremely talented, and working with him for the past 13 years has allowed me to grow as a musician because he’s such a strong leader,” Aleman said. “I know that what God is calling him to do is to become a music teacher, and I know he’ll become a fantastic one.”
Although Combs is essentially out for his job, music director Michael Ogdon was impressed with Combs when he first started teaching this year and plans to work with Combs during the second semester to make him a student conductor.
“Tyler impressed me initially as a thoughtful, considerate, intellegent, moderately driven choral musician,” Ogdon said. “Now, I find most of my first impressions confirmed because of time together.”
For more information on campus choral groups, e-mail Ogdon and visit the Dec. 15 article, Agnus Dei features arts department collaboration.