The Song and the Short of It

By James Kennedy

In an impressive impromptu performance, members of the Mineola High School Concert Singers erupted in song just hours before leaving on their holiday vacation.

The vocal group who all share a love for singing spent some of their fleeting school moments talking about what it means to be a member of the Concert Singers.

The Concert Singers consists of 150 Mineola High School students under the direction of Vaughn Fritts. Freshmen and sophomores meet daily during first period and juniors and seniors meet daily during the eighth period.

Of the 40 minutes they spend together 10 minutes are used as an introduction and 10 minutes are used to warm-up. The remaining 20 minutes gives only enough time for the singers to practice two or three songs.

The Concert Singers perform a wide range of music including choral masterpieces and a capella selections at local events such as the Winthrop-University Hospital Tree Lighting and the Mineola Fun Fair.

Concert Singers in the past have performed in Quebec and in Virginia Beach. Annually the Concert Singers perform en masse at both Winter and Spring Concerts.

The group will perform in two groups (one comprised of freshmen and sophomores, and one comprised of juniors and seniors) at the New York State School Music Association (NYSSMA) Festival.

The Concert Singers surprised many when they earned a prestigious Gold with distinction rating after competing at the last NYSSMA Festival. "Making music in any situation is an experience," commented Fritt, "but, that was a magic moment where everything came together."

Many were surprised at the achievement and this only re-enforces the singers' dedication to their craft. Explained Vice President Katie Connolly, "We knew how good we were, and Mr. Fritt knew how good we were, but nobody else did."

The Concert Singers who are reportedly very critical of their own performances, know when they have done a good job as they did at the NYSSMA Festival. "If we have fun, then we know that we did well," explained Nicole Gregorius.

In balancing a fun and light atmosphere with his role as disciplined teacher, Fritt likens himself to Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. Many of the students see his methods as a resounding success however, and are anxious to praise their teacher.

"He is so caring," commented Co-President of the Concert Singers Shauna McPartland.

"He is a teacher you can talk to," said Jessica Crowe.

"He thinks highly of us," added Joe Owens, one of the secretaries for the Concert Singers, "He wants us to do our best."

"He himself could be a professional singer," explained Connolly, "He teaches us through his own experiences."

Fritt commented that the morale of the group has improved a great deal over the past few years and the expectations are higher as well.

Misconceptions held the concert singers back for a while, but Fritt who said he enjoys a challenge has worked to educate both the students and the public as to what the Concert Singers is really about.

"Everybody thinks it's really easy, but you have to listen and you have to work together," said Beth Teemsma. "It takes talent to stay in tune," added Chris Napoli.

Speaking of misconceptions based on a misunderstanding of what it means to sing, Connolly said, "We are just as talented as any other group. Our voices are our instruments."

Crowe said when the singers practice they work on their breath control as well as blending their voices together. Further practice includes the pronunciation of vocabulary as the choir sings in other languages and reading the music both quicker and better.

In describing the act of singing many of the students likened their type of performance to acting. "It is a way to express ourselves," commented Vivian Sung.

Another obstacle to overcome was one misconception that denoted singing as an activity for solely females. Though the females are the clear majority, the number of male students has grown to comprise about one third of the group.

"I like to sing," said Napoli, one of the male members, "It's fun to sing in a group."

The presence of more males makes a fundamental difference in the sound in that more boys leads to more confidence for the male members. Shy singers will sing softly, and more people make for louder music.

"We come from all different groups and unite as one," said Beth Zeldis. Added Beau Bruno, "We blend our sounds really well."

In the future as the group grows the concert singers would like to improve the quality of their performances and have more performance opportunities.

They have a duty to educate the community both young and old in all different types of music according to Fritt. However, ultimately the goal is to entertain. "Music is about being expressive and doing the best you can," explained Fritt.

And wherever the future might take them, whatever paths they choose to take, the Mineola High School Concert Singers will always take with them what they have learned from this experience. "We will always be singers," concluded Gregorius.