With Christmas rapidly approaching, the choir’s annual concert, Round the Table Carol Sing, nears as well. After performing in The Gift of the Magi with the drama department, sophomore Robbie Hill shifts his focus to the choir program.

For Hill, this is his first year in choir. In preparation for Round the Table Carol Sing, which will take place Dec. 14-15, Hill reflects on his experience in the choral group.

See: What prompted you to join choir?

Hill: I basically chose on my own to join choir. My mom was in choir and my dad was in a band, so that motivated me to try singing. Ever since I was little, I was told that I had a pretty good voice, and finally I decided that I should try it and it is a great experience for me.

See: Have you ever been in choir before?

Hill: This is my first time being in choir, but I have sung in my church’s worship band for about six months. Singing in the worship band prepared me for choir by helping me understand music better. So when I went into choir, it wasn’t a shock jumping into the music.

See: Do you enjoy choir?

Hill: So far choir has been really fun. I get to hang out with some pretty cool people and sing some interesting pieces that I’ve never seen before. Also, Mr. Ogdon is a hilarious teacher and it’s nice having him for a class because he has never been my teacher before.

See: Is choir easy for you?

Hill: Singing is pretty easy for me, but I go by ear on the music because I can’t read the notes. So, basically, I just really have to pay attention to what is going on around me. Others have the same problem, so it’s comforting to know that I’m not the only one.

See: What part do you sing?

Hill: I sing tenor. So far, my group is pretty good. We are all working together to learn the music. I like being a tenor, I think it is better than singing bass, which I don’t think I could sing very well.

See: Is there anything challenging about singing for you, personally?

Hill: Singing tenor is mostly easy for me. Every once in a while, when we are singing, there will be a very high note that can be very challenging to reach. When this happens, I either go falsetto on the note, or I just mouth it.

See: Does choir help you with other things?

Hill: While learning how to sing better, I get a really good Bible class. Mr. [Michael] Ogdon isn’t only a great choir teacher, he’s also a great Bible teacher. Also, choir is a break from academics. I come out of that class calm and ready to end my day on a good note.

See: What do you enjoy most about choir?

Hill: I’ve sung before, and, so far in choir, I have a better range. I can hit the notes I couldn’t before because I get a lot of practice and great teaching from Mr. Ogdon. He has a different approach to Bible than other teachers. He gives specific examples of experiences that he’s had on the matter, which helps me understand it more.

See: Are your parents supportive of you being in choir?

Hill: Yes. Both my parents are very supportive of me being in choir. My mom, since she was in choir, knows how to read notes, so sometimes I bring home my music and have her help me figure out the notes. She really helps me.

See: Are you looking forward to the Christmas concert for choir?

Hill: Yes I am. It sounds like a really fun concert, and it’s different than just standing on the risers and singing at people. I think we are gonna do awesome because we have really progressed since the beginning of the year.

Hill: I am really looking forward to Christmas, but my early present for my family will be the Christmas concert.

Round the Table Carol Sing will be held on both evenings from 5:30-6:45 p.m. in the FC Gym, Dec. 14-15. In addition to choir, there will also be the ensemble, jazz band, jr. high choir and percussion performing. Also, there will be some readings and a performance from the American Sign Language Club.

For more information, read the Dec. 6 article, Music department stages annual Christmas concert.