Choir students of all ages performed together in the annual Music In Our Schools (MIOS) concert on Wednesday, Oct 10 in the Lafayette gym. The concert showcases elementary and middle school choirs, along with the three Lafayette choirs.

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Jack Weaver

Rachel Martin, junior, begins the Lafayette combined choir piece with her solo in "This is Me."

Having never performed as one large group, directors and students faced challenges when performing together.

“These students are used to working with their director and their tempo and their sounds and then we throw them all together and hope for the best,” Christy Shaffer, Lafayette vocal music teacher, said.

Matthew Edmundson, known to his students as Mr. Eddy, is the vocal music teacher at Rockwood Valley Middle School (RVMS).

“Even though they know all the same notes and the same words, it’s kind of tough when they all perform together… It’s a whirlwind,” Edmundson said.

For most choirs, performing in the gym is a transition in itself.

“It’s way different because usually, it’s quieter, but now that’s in a bigger gym and it echoes, it sounds different and it sounds better,” Ava Alvarez, sixth grader at RVMS, said.

With songs performed by each school level individually, the MIOS concert displays the development of choir students as they progress with age.

Ava’s mother, Toni Alvarez, said, “It’s really impressive because I’ve been coming to this concert since Ava was little and it’s really neat to see how they develop and grow as a group.”

For high school choir students, the MIOS concert displays the progress they have made since they began choir.

“I have been in choir since elementary school, so I have been able to experience the progression of these different choirs. I always like to see all the grades come together because this is the only concert we have together,” Sarah Agolia, senior, said.

This concert was also the first concert of the year for high school choirs.

“This is stuff that we’ve been working on since the beginning of the school year and it’s just a good opportunity for them,” Shaffer said.

The concert ended with a song performed by choir students from all elementary, middle and high school choirs.

“I like seeing my future choir and my old choir and seeing what I’ll become and what I was,” Ava said.

This choir concert exposes the future Lancers and their parents of the class.

“I like performing with everyone because everyone is so nice and supportive and everyone is just one big family,” Kyla Davis said.