By Molly Burken
Every year, the CDHS Choirs prepare and perform their Pop Show. This is the students’ opportunity to choose songs, curate costumes, and create choreography. But how do these students feel about the Pop Show? Do the staff members enjoy taking a step back?
Song Selection
The most important part of any choir performance is the music, and for the Pop Show, students can suggest any song, as long as it’s on JW Pepper. Bass Clef President and Sophomore Tysen Steffens, said “I like that we get to choose our own songs so that we can all come together as a group and find songs that we think we’ll fit best in and we can learn easiest.” Once students compile a list of songs, they’re voted on by everyone in the choir. Mr. Uttech, the CDHS Choir Director, pushes students to find pieces that will “appeal to the masses hopefully, from kids who are really young to people that are like great-grandparents even,” He tries to get students to look at different eras, artists, and styles of music. Once the final songs are chosen, students start working on the choreography, vocals, and costuming.
Costuming
Costumes can enhance the performance of certain songs. Whether it’s all the choir
members and some male staff performing "I’m Just Ken" while dressing as different ‘Kens’ (right), or Bass Clef wearing coconut bras and grass skirts for "Kokomo" (left), costumes elevate performances to the
next level. Costumes also allow some students to immerse themselves in the dances and feel like true performers. Many students enjoy coming up with and discovering costumes for themselves or a large group, especially when it all comes together and looks amazing.
Dancing
Choreographers from all choirs start working on pieces once they’re finalized. Senior Laura Martens, the Concert Choir President and a major choreographer for the Pop Show said “Yes, the Pop Show is still my favorite part of every year, even though it gets really stressful… I think I’ve done more routines and added more every year. This year I’m helping with 9 routines. Some of them I’m doing by myself, most of them I have help for.” Junior Susie Cox, another choir member, and 1st-time choreographer, said, “Fast songs are definitely easier just because they're up-tempo, and they make you wanna dance, whereas doing a slow song is just boring.” Choreography is taught in sections to the choirs, and it’s a challenging process to learn the music, learn the dances, and then work on melding them together, especially with some medlies and mass pieces. This year, choirs are doing The Greatest Show from the film, The Greatest Showman. This involves Bass Clef, Lyrica, Chamber, and Concert Choir coming together to sing and dance in one big performance, in addition to the routines for individual choirs.
Pass-Throughs and Small Groups
Pictured right: Matthew Boeding, Austin Miller, Gus Pickup
One way students can show off their talents on a smaller scale is by doing pass-throughs and small groups during the show. These were developed by Mr. Uttech as a way for students to do a snippet of a song or a silly skit. It also helps buy time for students to do costume changes or even just to showcase our talented students. This year, Mr. Uttech had to hold auditions for pass-throughs since there were so many. These smaller-scale options also give students opportunities to create some
cool and unique performances. One year, a small group of students performed Country Roads, Take Me Home. The students involved were Matthew Boeding, Brooklyn Quick, Jackson Butler, and Nile Hootman. Matthew played guitar while also singing harmonies with the quartet. The group is pictured left.
Teacher's Perspective
As Ryan Uttech, the CDHS Choir Director will tell you before the show, the Pop Show is one of his favorite concerts because he gets to take a step back and observe the students taking charge of their performances. “It’s messy, but it’s good.” as described by Mr. Uttech. He also mentions that the process helps people develop skills like creativity, collaboration, critical thinking, and communication.
Pam Meyer, the choir accompanist, also had some thoughts about the variety in performances. “The arts require diversity,” she says, and “It gives students the opportunity to make you see some of those talents that they don't normally.”
Comments