Coral Reef Senior High School choir looking forward to LA trip
MIAMI - Coral Reef Senior High School chorus program will be traveling to the West Coast for a choir clinic soon.
This choir program and their teacher have changed and shaped the lives of many of the students – and it shows with the accomplishments they've recently had.
Students will soon be in Los Angeles, one of music's Meccas.
"An opportunity to be on the West Coast, I think 80% of the students and parents attending the field trip have never gone to California so I'm just so excited," said ShanPatrick Davis, the choir teacher at Coral Reef.
This is their first choir clinic since the pandemic and it will be a special one as they're alongside the USC Chamber Singers directed by UM alumnus Dr. Cristian Grases.
"Super excited for! Looking forward to visiting USC we're going to be doing some singing and also the Jennifer Hudson show, big fan!" said Rachel Roomes, a senior in the choir.
While in LA, the students will be visiting major landmarks like the Grammy Museum, Warner Bros. Studio, and most importantly performing at two LA area senior citizen facilities.
This choir program has consistently excelled on the district and state levels since 1997.
They've been crowned 1st place, 19 out of 25 times at the Coral Gables Merrick Choral Competition...not to mention major performances at some of the most prestigious conferences.
"What we did last year was a career moment. It was a career moment for me and it's also for a choir program it's like there's…you can't get any higher than that that's what most choir programs aspire to," said ShanPatrick Davis.
Sure, this program has a long list of accolades but that's not the reason these students come to class. It's the family dynamic their teacher instills.
"While I've been here at the school at Reef, I've gone through a lot of losses in my family. Especially, in my senior year and Mr. Davis has always been supportive and there every step of the way. It's been my second family when I'm going through the lows that life throws and the strong family feeling has gotten me through my high school years and I wouldn't trade it for anything," said Roomes.
It's an escape, and for some, it's been the realization of a dream.
"It sounds childish but to be a rockstar. To be someone that can show my work and art to who knows how many people in the future," said Max Suh, a sophomore choir member.
High school can be a challenging time for young teens and their teacher, Mr Davis has made is a safe place for these students to express themselves.
"My choir director in high school probably the most influential teacher in my life just talking about her will make me emotional. I wanted to pay back what was invested in me I wanted to do the same to my students," said Davis.
For the universal language we all speak, music has helped many of us and these students are excited to share this gift with Los Angeles and the world.
"After I joined this I really found unity and I feel it's something no matter how extraverted or I traversed or shy you are you should give it a try — one of the most intriguing ways to find yourself," said Suh.