As she steps on to the stage for the first show of her senior year, Royal Edition officer, Claire Huntzinger, reflects on her journey of stepping into her new leadership role in choir. From solos to trios to ensembles, Huntzinger has done it all on stage in the Leonard Auditorium. As her third year in Royal Edition, and second in Royal Sensation, choir occupies a large portion of her life, and this year, she stepped into a leadership position.
“Being an officer is definitely a very different experience than being a general choir member,” Huntzinger says. “It is a very fun job but can definitely be difficult at times.”
Selected by the choir directors, being awarded the role of choir officer indicates a large amount of trust in the two students selected for each choir. With her fellow officer, Huntzinger plays a big part in the productivity of the choir, and does a lot behind the scenes.
Her job, she states, is to “plan the events, help people outside of class with vocal and dance parts,” and that’s not all. A large responsibility placed on her is acting as a “liaison between the directors and students.”
On top of the large time commitment HSE Choirs require, Huntzinger chooses to spend much of her spare time planning and helping with anything the choir directors may ask of her. However, choir is more than just a commitment for Huntzinger, it means something to her.
She shares, “Choir is more like a family than a class to me”, after two years in Royal Edition, and another to come. “I can confidently say that the people in Royal Edition are my closest friends.”
Huntzinger believes that everyone should support choir, and she says they can do so by attending concerts throughout the year.
“People should come to the choir concerts,” she argues, “because the students in the shows work so hard and are so passionate about what they do.”
Choir means so much to Huntzinger, and she believes it can mean something to others too, as she says, “You can’t come to a choir concert, and leave without a smile on your face.”
