The New Ulm High School choirs start off each school year by learning fresh new music and expanding on the basis of musical theory.

All the choirs taught at New Ulm High School do theory work, which is learning the different notes in the Treble Clef and Bass Clef. This includes knowing the lines and spaces and what they mean.

There are three different choirs at New Ulm High School, these choir are known as Concert Choir, Bel Canto, and Men of Note. Concert Choir consists of students having to try out to show off their ability to sing the right notes that match pitches played on a piano. Concert Choir participates in festivals in which they perform their music. Concert Choir and Bel Canto go to perform their music at contests in March. After the choirs perform their pieces they get judged, either receiving a superior, excellent or fair rating. Other Concert Choirs and Bel Canto groups from different High Schools also performs at these contests.

Jennessa Seiler and I have met with Mrs. Horning, the choir director, we asked her what choir means to her and what teaching music to different students is like. When she is teaching music to different students Mrs. Horning said that she, “likes to help set a common goal and that is performance. A performance is the one time students come together in having all different abilities and creating music.” We followed this question by asking her what she think makes her a strong music teacher. “Good communication skills, knowing how to play the piano, and singing” responded Mrs. Horning. She’s always  had “a passion for music and singing.”

To conclude talking with Mrs. Horning, we inquired why she wanted to become a music teacher. Mrs. Horning told us that she “was so inspired” by her choir director that she wanted to “keep the flow of music in life.” She also stated that she, “wanted to further the music education to other students.”

To Jennessa and I, music is a way of people coming together, with all different kinds of voices and talents. Students learn something new everyday in choir class, such as: new notes to help them with their greater understanding of just what choir is.