Choir emphasizes teens’ ability to sing

At New Trier, High Five welcomes singers of all abilities and
disabilities

By Tara Malone, Tribune reporter

A slight boy with glasses, Chris Choe walked to the front of the
choir room and raised his hand to signal for attention. The
16-year-old junior needed silence and support to rehearse the lines
he would repeat in a week before an auditorium packed with students
at New Trier Township High School.

For him, it wasn’t just about nerves.

Choe has Noonan syndrome, a genetic disorder that can complicate
speech and vocal articulation, among other symptoms. Introducing
himself in a loud, clear voice to hundreds of his peers would be a
challenge, but Choe knew he could rely for support on the High Five
Choir, where students with special needs perform alongside general
music students.

On the recent morning, with the big performance days away, Choe
practiced his part of the introduction.