ROCKWALL COUNTY, Texas — With all sorts of clubs, sports and groups to be a part of, it can be hard for kids entering high school at Rockwall Heath to choose.
Especially if it’s something they’ve never even heard of.
“They have no idea what it is,” said Lauren Smith, choir director at Heath. “They just hear people say, ‘Oh, I’m so excited about this. You should do it.’”
“I didn’t know it was a thing. It’s not really advertised,” Heath junior Elise King said.
“I’m new to this definitely,” said senior Zach Stell.
The same thing goes for students across town at Rockwall High School.
“No, I did not know anything about a cappella,” said senior Tyler Idels.
Growing up, many of the students who now make up Heath’s Infiniti a cappella choir and Rockwall’s Walk the Line didn’t know the first thing about a cappella. However, both choirs routinely travel to schools throughout the district to perform, which is when many developed an interest in a cappella.
Despite that, none had ever been part of an a cappella group, which is what makes the next part of this story so unbelievable.
“Yeah, it was insane to think about that or to just wrap my head around,” Lugo said.
“Yeah, I was definitely speechless,” said King.
The International Championship of High School A Cappella is the most prestigious a cappella competition in the world.
Only nine choirs nationwide qualified for the April 26th competition, including both choirs from Rockwall.
No other city, nor state, had more than one choir qualify.
“I don’t know what it is about Rockwall, but we are super blessed to have these kids,” said Rockwall choir director Leia Browning.
“I don’t know where they all come from, but we’re really lucky,” Smith added.
Surprisingly, though, both directors say they don’t care if they win.
Most of their students will have a future outside of music, which is why this was never about discovering a cappella as much as it was about discovering themselves.
“Maybe a handful will go into music,” Browning said. “But I think that they will be able to look back on this memory and be like, ‘Hey, those were some of the best times I ever had in high school,' because the group is so close.’”
“My goal as a choir director is not to churn out choir directors or musicians,” said Smith. “My goal is to teach them life skills that they can take in whatever they do.”
Listen to the students and that message can be heard echoing loudly.
“When you make music like this together, it really creates a strong bond,” Idels said.
“[It’s] a great place to express yourself with a tight-knit family,” Stell said.
“I have the ability to do things I didn’t think I could before,” said Lugo.
“My director showed me so many things that I never really thought were possible,” said Heath tenor Dexter Haberstock. “You become a bigger person and a better person for the rest of your life.”
From the sound of it, they’re not just learning a cappella, they’re finding their voice.
Both choirs are still seeking support for their trip to New York City. For more information, visit: //bit.ly/donatetoinfiniti or https://jacketchoir.ludus.com/fundraiser.php?id=2211
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