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Minnetonka Whiz Kids: Living in Harmony with Music

Two Minnetonka Seniors share their experience at the 2011 ACDA National Women's Honor Choir and their love of music.

The fellowship of friends and the fellowship of voices—two reasons why Seniors, Samantha Carr and Audrey Thayer, love to sing.

Selected from thousands of applicants nationwide both girls got a chance to share that love along with other vocalists as part of the 2011 ACDA National Women's Honor Choir. Performing for a full house in Chicago's Auditorium Theatre, Carr and Thayer experienced choral music on a grand scale.

“It was really cool to be in that room with about 300 girls, and they were all fantastic,” said Thayer. “You sing your best when you're there because you want to match up to their level. I definitely got better musically from it.”

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Carr agreed, “Everyone was there because they cared about choir and wanted to be part of something bigger.”

Paula Holmberg, the girls' choral director at MHS, said it takes gumption to audition for the National Women's Honor Choir and talent to be accepted.

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“Both of these young women were blessed with beautiful voices so they have talent, but they've also been considerably committed to developing their talent. That's what's unique about them,” said Holmberg.

Thayer made the definitive choice to follow her path of theatre and music in the sixth grade. She said she had to make an agonizing choice between soccer with her friends or performing in Fiddler on the Roof with the .

“It was days of crying and not knowing what to do and finally the moment came, and I chose to do the show over soccer and never regretted it since,” she said. “From that moment I knew that music and theatre and the arts were my passion, and that's where I belonged.”

Carr dabbled in elementary talent shows, started choir in sixth grade and then advanced to voice lessons in seventh grade. She said that, at first, she had a different idea of what voice lessons would do for her.

“I thought it was like you go and record a song and you become famous, but really it was like you go and sing with somebody,” Carr remembered, laughing.

It wasn't until high school, Carr said, that she began to appreciate the classical aspect of choral music and started to enjoy singing arias and pieces in Italian and French.

Thayer can't imagine a life without music. Singing with her friends during choir is her favorite part of the day.

“It's just this moment where we all come together and do what we love – it's a miracle that we all get graded for it,” she said. It's very supportive, and we all love each other – it's just really a great environment.”

 Nodding her head in agreement, Carr added, “I feel that in choir you get to know people because you're so vulnerable when you sing. The fact that I get to hear everyone sing and to hear their voice is so special.”

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Want to hear for yourself?

Friday, May 20th: MHS Concert Choir/Wind Ensemble and Chamber Orchestra Concert it the MHS Auditorium at 7 p.m.

Monday, May 23 and Tuesday, May 24th:   Concert of all the MHS Choirs in the MHS Auditorium at 7 p.m.

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