While there are hundreds of classes offered at CHS, the choir stood out to senior Tyler Wemhoff.

“I also was in choir in middle school and was in freshman choir, and that was the point where I realized that I really liked being around the people in choir and I liked what we were doing, so that was the point where I dedicated myself and decided I wanted to be in show choir,” Wemhoff said.

The Ambassadors are the most advanced mixed level show choir at CHS, and Wemhoff believes it is important to develop relationships in the show choir.

“First semester is definitely more relaxed, and more chill in general, and it is helpful in a way because you get to meet the people in the group, and by the time you get to second semester when things get really crazy you really get to know the people in your group. In addition, it is definitely more time consuming and rigorous but you have resources available to you with the people you’re in the group with, and it becomes more bearable, and balances out,” Wemhoff said.

Ambassadors Director Kyle Barker said the CHS choir programs work to foster and build a community around music.

“We want our kids to grow in their skills and to really make great art, but our biggest focus is the community of what we do, and so we are trying to build that and really, really focus on just the experience of being with a bunch of people who have a similar interests, but all come from different places in the school building and getting together to make (art),” Barker said.

“I’m in three choirs now, so that’s three class periods every two days and all of that has shown me how much I love music in general, and has me considering doing music in college and I would say that show choir has had a big impact on that and also all my closest friends, are friends who I have met through from the choir program,” Wemhoff said.

Senior Noah Plake said that show choir has not only allowed him to grow as a performer, but to grow as a student as well.

“Choir has made me step up my attitude towards working hard, this year I have worked a lot harder in school, added on to the Ambassadors, because I feel like have more responsibility this year in a group, especially being a senior, and it shapes you into a good leader and follower at the same time and to be respectful and understand certain problems that arise and how to problem solve. For example, we had a lot of times last year where we had to randomly change a part of our set during a competition and it puts you in the mindset to relax, and good things are going to happen as long as you work for it,” Plake said.

Barker said that the choir has numerous impacts for students, besides performing on stage.

“They learn a lot about time management, managing a calendar, and really valuable communication skills, whether it be with peers, teachers, and choreographers, they learn public speaking skills, and the whole act of performing like that, really opens them up to be a bit more vulnerable and a lot of my colleagues in other departments say that the choir kids are some of the better public speakers because they are so used to being in front of people and a lot of the discipline of it is working out minor details and really working to get something to be the best it can be is really a skill that you can use throughout your life,” Barker said.

“The Accents and Ambassadors are going to have the most time commitment in terms of outside rehearsals, as they rehearse once a week in the fall and twice a week in their season, and they are also incentives, as it is a 5.0 weighted class, in addition to them getting a P.E. credit,” Barker said.

“I am heavily considering (going into a career in music), as I am auditioning and applying for schools now, and I would say that if I had it my way, I will probably end up going into music,” Wemhoff said.