| Attachment | Size |
|---|---|
| The Master Singers Perform at a BYU Game | 3.3 MB |
“Oh, say can you see” Ms. Utrera’s choir singing at a BYU Basketball game? On January 27th at 9:00, the Master Singers lined up on the Marriott Center basketball court, and sang the National Anthem to the hundreds of fans cheering on the BYU Cougars. The students had a blast-- from watching basketball players warm up, to sing-off’s with employees; it was a super enjoyable experience.
Preparing the song took a lot of hard work, patience and effort. Ms. Utrera, the choir teacher at SJHS, said, “We prepared for six months to sing at the game. Preparation included learning and practicing in class, as well as performing it a few times [in concerts].”
Kimani Lindsey, a ninth grader in Master Singers, said, “It was hard at first to get everyone together, and sing well.” But the more that the students practiced, the better and better the song became. It was getting close to the game!
On January 27th, at 6:00, the singers got onto a bus and drove down to the Marriott Center. They got to experience what it was like pre-game; the players were warming up, the workers were hanging all of the posters and banners up, and the cheerleaders and Cougarettes were eating dinner and warming up. The choir practiced walking onto the court, and performing as best as they could without being distracted by the cameramen and jumbo screen that they were being projected on. According to Kimani Lindsey, after the practice everyone got to hang out in the halls and stands. Nayara Snyder, an eighth grader in Master Singers, said, “Some students even had a sing-off with some college age employees working at the concession stands!” At about 8:50, everyone went down to the hallways behind the basketball court and lined up in the order that everyone had practiced. Nayara Snyder, said, “When we were all getting ready, I was super nervous! I’ve never sang at a BYU game before. But it was exciting; you’re with all your friends, and everyone is supporting you.”
Along with all of the students, even teachers can get a little nervous sometimes. Ms. Utrera said, “My only worry was that the students would get nervous being in front of such a big crowd, and not sing as well as I knew they could.” And it was easy to get nervous. According to Ms. Utrera, there are cameramen filming you, fans with big signs waving around, and a big jumbo screen projecting to everyone. But as the choir performed, all doubts were erased. Ms. Utrera said, “The students handled everything very well, and were awesome! I was so impressed with the intense focus and great sound that came from the choir!” All of the preparing, hard work and practicing paid off. It was a blast, and everyone loved it!