Kinnelon Chamber Choir Celebrates Accomplishments

Singing songs like "Do You Love Me" and "Thriller," the Mid-Winter Honors Concert on March 28 was no ordinary performance.

The KHS Chamber Singers performed songs that signified 50 years since the high school was established in this year under the direction of Choir Director Charles Linnell. The high school wind ensemble also performed at the concert under the direction of Bonnie Hendricks, assistant director of bands.

While the chamber choir celebrated the successes of all the high school's history during the concert, this year alone has been filled with many accomplishments for the Kinnelon chorus program. Two students, Nicolette Corrado and Gabrielle Beeferman, were chosen by the National Association for Music Education to perform amongst the top 50 high school singers in the country in the National Honor Choir on June 24 at the John F. Kennedy Center for Performing Arts in Washington D.C. Additionally, Linnell said the school has had several students make the All-State and All-Eastern Choirs.

Linnell and district administrators are extremely proud of the accomplishments of the students, with Superintendent Jim Opiekun even describing the singers as potentially being "the next American Idol contestants."

"I'm happy that we have a great group of kids that actually want to sound good all together," Corrado said of her chamber group. "This is an awesome group that really cares and really wants to send the message to other people about music."

The chamber group is made up of students from grades 9 through 12, with students auditioning each spring to be included the following year. To be in the Kinnelon High School Chamber Choir, a student needs more than just a good voice, Linnell said.

"They have to not only be able to sing in pitch, but they also have to be able to read music," he said. "We go through a lot of music and the kids have to be able to keep up."

The students who decide to pursue the honors choir must be able to balance their academics with putting extra time in toward doing something they enjoy. Linnell said the students' passion truly shined through during the March 28 concert, and that even though the students performed pop songs, learning the music was still challenging.

"It's actually harder for kids to perform pop songs," he said. "It's much easier to tell kids to be serious in a performance setting than it is to tell kids to have fun."

Corrado said the concert was a unique experience for the group and one she was pleased to be a part of.

"I think it was something different and it was definitely a lot of fun and the audience was definitely into it," she said.

She also said she is grateful for the opportunities that have been provided to her, including being able to perform in the National Honor Choir later this year, through the high school program.