Student pursues passion, overcomes obstacles

Imagine being up on stage, ready to preform in front of the crowd. All eyes are on the performers now, anticipating the entire choir’s performance. One student has just joined the musical group and she has to sing a solo, despite struggling with hitting the high notes.

Taylor Neufeld, ’13, had an experience very similar to that. Neufeld joined choir because of her love for singing and for a chance to prove that she can sing.

“I always ask my dad if I have a good voice and he tells me I’m not an American Idol singer,” Neufeld said. “It makes me want to get better because I think I can prove him wrong.”

She joined choir this year since it did not fit in her schedule previously. Neufeld is an alto singer and was featured in a solo in the fall concert. According to Neufeld, she loves performing for people and making others joyful.

“I love going to the performances and seeing a smile on the audience’s face,” Neufeld said “I like making people happy.”

Neufeld struggles with hitting high notes as an alto and timing her breaths correctly. Though her obstacles have never caused her problems in performances, being in choir has helped her learn how to hit the higher notes.

According to fellow alto choir member Gillian Rea, ’16, she believes that all of the alto section struggles with self-confidence.

“The altos are more insecure, I think, about singing,” Rea said. “It’s a weird part to sing because it’s really close to the tenor’s part.”

Neufeld was one of the soloists chosen for the fall concert. While some students may have felt anxious, she was filled with excitement.

“I was really excited to be one of the solo acts,” Neufeld said. “It was really cool to sing a solo for my first year of choir in the first performance. Mr. Ogdon picked me and two other people for the song, so it was cool to sing. I didn’t really feel nervous, just excited.”

As a senior on campus, she loves getting to know her other class mates and is eager for the semester to end. Neufeld did not expect to experience ‘senioritis’ but finds herself tired of the daily schedule and is excited for a break from school.

“I’m really excited to be a senior but part of me just wants to be done with it,” Neufeld said. “The best part of it though is getting the special privileges seniors get.”

Along with love for singing, Neufeld knows American Sign Language (ASL). She began learning ASL in sixth grade and has some experience with performances because of it.

“In the performing arts group, instead of singing the song we would sign them,” Neufeld said. “I guess that’s one of my talents.”

Music director Michael Ogdon enjoys having Neufeld in his class and the opportunity for Neufeld to sing with the other choir members.

“Taylor is new to the choir after a long time away from music fun,” Ogdon said. “Her schedule finally let her jump back into the thick of it with eighty others.”

To read more about the Fall Choir concert, read the Oct. 17 article Choral department to hold fall concert.

For more features, read the Dec. 14 article, Most wonderful time: Join the discussion, 2012 (VIDEO).

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