Kelsey Borbeck, senior at Pleasant Valley High School, is a stand-out choir member. She has participated in choir since she was 11, and has been a member of the school’s chamber choir for two years. This is also her second year in Jazz Etc. For Kelsey, choir is about more than singing, it is about creating friendships while doing what she loves. Keep up the good work Kelsey.
How long have you been in choir?
I’ve been in choir for six years now and I can honestly say it’s been an amazing experience. I started in junior high just as an extra class to pick up and I almost dropped it because some of my peers dropped my self-confidence and made me doubt my talents. However, thankfully I stayed with it because I’ve met many amazing and talented people and developed some close friendships. Not only has choir helped me develop vocally but it’s given me a place to feel comfortable and accepted. This group I sing with today are more than just a choir, they’re family.
What made you stay in choir?
I was so close to dropping choir. I felt like I wasn’t good enough, certain people in my section made sure I knew I wasn’t good enough, and I just didn’t connect with the music. However, I met my two best friends through that class and they loved it and showed no signs of quitting any time soon, so I stayed just to be with them.
What’s your favorite choir memory?
The bus rides are always my favorite. Whenever we go somewhere, we always sing. Someone will start and then everyone joins in and it’s so amazing. We always sing our old music and someone else conducts while our real conductor sits there and laughs at us. We honestly do our best singing on those buses because we’re all so passionate about the literature.
What type of vocalist are you?
Although I speak so highly of choir and the importance it has in my life, it’s not where my true passion lies. I’m more of a pop/ R&B singer. Everyone that knows me knows that I’m obsessed with Beyoncé. She’s my biggest inspiration as a vocalist and I try to learn from her in any way possible. I listen to and sing her songs over and over again and besides doing it for my own entertainment, it’s made me a stronger singer. I aspire to have her range and I hope that my runs are as smooth as hers one day.
What’s your favorite type of music to sing?
Beyoncé. Hands down. I also like to sing Whitney Houston songs or Alicia Keys. Anything that challenges me, I sing it.
What’s your favorite thing about choir?
I love the fact that we all bonded over singing. It’s something we’re all passionate about and being able to break out in song and have people make these beautiful harmonies alongside you is amazing. This is going to sound a little strange, but singing has almost been kind of an insecurity for me. I always thought other people would perceive me as strange because of singing. I always hid myself and in junior high I was always hesitant to tell people that I was in choir. I never sang for people and I never talked about it, yet it was and still is my biggest passion in life. It wasn’t until I made concert choir my freshman year that I finally felt confident in it. I still doubted myself but it was all because of great people like Mr. Williams who kept telling me I can when I would tell myself I couldn’t. He made sure I didn’t limit myself or settle. He is such an inspiring conductor and I know I’m not the only one who feels this way. It’s because of him and the rest of the kids in Chamber that made me value choir so much.
