The world today is changing at a swift pace. Every day we are advancing as a whole technologically, but as we progress in these areas, it seems that we are regressing in others to a point where personal human understanding is no longer prevalent. There is an endless amount of solutions to this problem, but my personal savior would have to be choral music. Unfortunately, despite popular belief amongst my fellow students, sheer participation isn’t enough. You must immerse yourself in the art form. I have found that a looming fear of failure is a contributing factor to the decline in the arts as a whole. Being an artist of any form requires effort, and students can save themselves from the possible embarrassment by pursuing something far less complicated. Examples of which might include video games, or avid tweeting.
My experiences in choir are what saved me from mediocrity, complacency, and a great deal of ignorance. Whether it is during a performance or in the classroom, I’ve gained much more than I ever could have hoped to through the internet or television. Singing has taught me humility through error, reward through success, feeling through understanding, and most importantly, how to use singing to identify with the piece I am performing, and the audience I am performing for. This creates a bond of emotions that helps me realize that each individual has their own story, along with a series of battles in which they were forced to contend. A strong sense of community is provided and that is what our youth needs most to prevent a fracture in today’s society. Choral music helps us remember what is significant, while maintaining a development of our natural qualities and existence, cohesively as a race.
(Reilly Dougherty is a senior at Firestone High School in Akron, Ohio)
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