A cherished tradition of Lincoln High, LHS Show Choir, concluded their 2024-2025 season after a long run of hard work and dedication recently. If you are friends with anyone who is in Lincoln High Show Choir, there’s a good chance that you’ve heard about the hard work and long nights that go into creating a show choir production. These rigorous shows are directed by LHS music teacher Colten McCauley, created with the help of Kasey Dunaski who helps put all of the technical elements together and Seth Burk who directs show band. Show choir consists of two groups of students: Momentum and the varsity group Chain Reaction, with each group creating their own show for each season.
LHS Show Choir performs these shows to not only in Lincoln High’s Ted Sorensen Theater, but also take these shows on the road to other schools across Nebraska and beyond at various competitions, with these competitions often being all day events from early in the morning to late at night, where judges rank and critique each show.
While attending LHS Show Choir’s final competition of the 2024/2025 season, students from both groups shared what it really looks like to be in show choir.
LHS Show Choir is hard work and comes with a lot of responsibilities and sacrifices made by the students, so not only is keeping up the energy essential to having a successful competition, but it is also at the core of their community. Several interviewees shared how warm ups, practice and, very notably, caffeine helps keep the group going strong. However several students explained that one of the most important ways that the group keeps up the energy, is by “feeding off of each other’s energy” and “staying positive for the good of the group” said Lyn Parrot, a freshman member of Momentum.
Ghostt Snyder, a senior member of Chain Reaction, elaborated on Lyn’s point and shared how like any other extracurricular, “keeping up moral is key to a successful performance.” Snyder explained that by being in show choir for so long he has learned some valuable leadership skills which not only is valuable to keep moral up in show choir, but also extends to other areas in life after high school. One of these skills as shared by Savannah Homen, a sophomore member of Momentum, defined it as: “give a little more.” To Savanah this means “pushing to have a better energy and pushing yourself to go above and beyond.”
Each student I interviewed displayed great appreciation for their time in show choir, especially seniors Ghost Snyder, Gage Havlat, Emerson Mickleson and Henry Alvarez as they prepare to graduate and end their time with show choir. While the season ending is bitter sweet for many members of LHS Show Choir, they are all equally excited for what is to come in the coming seasons as they continue to grow and get stronger as a community. Havlat shared an important lesson he learned from his time with LHS show choir. “Don’t let your own thoughts and how you think you are effect how you are going to do during the season or how you can grow because me personally I grew a lot from the last four years of my experiences.” Havlat wanted to end his interview with a few words of encouragement for those who are considering joining. “If there is anyone out there that is thinking of joining but is hesitant or scared, do it because its been the best part of the past four years of high school.”
