Sing to the Top

Emory Anderson 
Staff Writer 
Music is said to bless lives; no one knows that better than Bonneville's choir department. Joining any one of the choirs at Bonneville High School (BHS) is a way to meet new people and learn a new musical skill. When auditioning to be in Bel Cantos or Bonnevaires, a song chosen by Dresen must be fully memorized and theorized. Bel Cantos is an advanced women's choir that consists of one ranging from sophomores to seniors and is a step below Bonnavaires. Bonnevaires is the advanced mixed choir that generally consists of juniors and seniors but can have a couple of sophomores.
  One of the returning Bel Cantos is Aubrey Barnard, a junior this year. Barnard has been extremely active in singing since she was three. She “memorized the entire part of your world song from the little mermaid and [she] would sing it all the time.” This is just one example of how her parents realized that she enjoyed singing. Barnard's parents later put her into her first choir group at the age eight. Now that she is in high school, she is able to perform more for her family. With all the years that Barnard has been singing, she can see herself continuing on that path once she graduates. Not only does Barnard participate in choir, she is also passionate about drama. Barnard looks forward to performing in this year's melodrama which will take place in the spring. She now has the opportunity to travel on tour and perform for a variety of different crowds. Last year for the tour, the choirs went to Arizona. While in Arizona, the choirs stopped at Arizona State University and performed on campus, where their choir director conducted them in a few of the choir songs. 
  In addition to all the performers in the BHS choirs, there is a dedicated director named Steve Dresen. Dresen first started teaching at South Fremont Junior High and High School. He taught choir and general music for grades 7-12. When deciding what to do for his career, choir was not Dresen's first choice. His original plan was to become a pediatric surgeon; however, “it was later, after a series of events that [he] came to pursue [his] passion for teaching the choral art.” With that decision, he has now been teaching at BHS for 25 years and 34 years overall.
  Joining the BHS choir is a way to meet new people, develop a new skill, and do things outside of school with the skills learned. And always keep in mind that “when words fail, music speaks,”(Hans Christian Andersen) sometimes the only way to get things across is with music.

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