At first glance, it’s just a room with four walls, chairs, and a piano tucked in the corner. Silence embraces you while you walk through the carpeted classroom. Suddenly, breaths are taken, cutting through the quiet like a knife through butter, like the room itself inhaled. A collection of voices comes together to become one. It doesn’t knock you over, but it invites you in.
What you hear isn’t a quick, beautiful moment but the daily reality inside Sunnyslope High School’s choir class.
The Sunnyslope Choir classes follow a diverse group of high schoolers brought together by a shared love for music. Under the guidance of passionate choir teacher Tamara Krause, students discover the power of harmony in music and friendships. In these classes, you grow your vocal skills while concurrently growing as a person.
Being in Sunnyslope’s choir is like a crescendo from a small moment building into something large, beautiful, and unexpected.
Member of Concert Choir Gretchen Woods explained that even coming to Slope with much choir experience, she was “unaware of how many bonds [she] could create from one class alone.” Woods illustrated this saying “for instance, after I sang my solo at the Pops Concert, one of the friends I made through choir was waiting backstage both nights to cheer me on,” explaining that “it inflicted pure joy upon both of [them],” and their “smiles were priceless.”
These meaningful connections help foster a positive and enriching environment.
Member of Treble Choir Olivia Beatty described the atmosphere as “very fun but also focused,” and expressed the dynamic as “just like a big family” because the “people are very friendly and welcoming.”
What makes this choir feel like a family is the presence of a guiding figure, unwavering support, and a motherly presence who nurtures each member with particular care.
Beatty highlights this maternal feeling: “Mrs. Krause is very much like a school mom to many of her students.”
Though some strongly felt a more personal connection, some also perceived a different side of things.
Woods described the relationship as “one of the closest professional bonds I have ever witnessed,” saying she still “cares so much about her students, not only for their voice and talent, but for who they truly are inside.”
As you can see, the Sunnyslope choir is the best extracurricular to join, so you should consider talking with your counselor to add it to your roster next year!