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Spinning My Wheels!:

Lamentations, Reflections,

and Reset Plans of a

Bewildered Choir Director

NYTHIA MARTINEZ

Nythia Martinez works at Walter Payton College Prepa- sidered registering for our school’s choral program. What
ratory High School, Chicago, Illinois. nmrivera1@cps.edu happened next was both illuminating and sad. They shot
me looks of dread, a solid “no way!” and exited the conver-
Editor’s Note: This article originally appeared in Illinois ACDA sation with a swift escape down the stairs.
Podium publication, Vol 49 no. 1 (Fall 2022). It is being reprinted As I watched them run, I was immediately consumed
with permission. with guilt about what I must be doing wrong to have al-
lowed such a perception of choir to exist at our school. I felt
To close out each year, our school plans a fun field day this, knowing that changed graduation requirements in the
event with options for both indoor and outdoor activities. Chicago Public Schools have had huge impacts on music
After I complete my chaperoning duties for the potato sack enrollment numbers throughout the district over the last
races on the softball field and trivia in the gym, I always several years and that parts of this issue are bigger than me.
make my way to the karaoke session in the disco-lit recit- So I’ve been spinning my wheels, trying to determine which
al hall to cheer on each brave performer…and to…SPY! enrollment issues are indeed systemic and which I could
“Who is singing?” Fertile ground for recruitment, right? possibly solve with some really creative thinking.
Last June, groups of experienced choir kids put multiple I found myself on the verge of defeat, as I had spent the
requests in the karaoke song queue. Two young baritones past few years trying my best to resurrect choir, planning
on the same bill thought it would be fun to enter the spot- new and exciting concerts, competing in multiple regional
light and sing the hook to a popular track. I didn’t recog- festivals, planning special collaborations, and sharing the
nize the students, so I wasn’t sure what to expect from the groups’ work and accomplishments broadly with the stu-
performance, but once the chorus hit, I heard some solid dent body, faculty, and families.
pitch and harmony moments! My heart smiled, and then Interestingly, this karaoke run-in came days after I met a
quickly sank, and I wondered, “Why don’t I already know fine instrumentalist who confessed to me that she also loved
them?” singing but never joined the class because “choir just wasn’t
They took their cute bow, and as they left the stage, I for her.” Of course, I interrogated her in that moment; her
chased them out of the hall, asking if they had ever con- reasoning included that she doesn’t read music and has

ChorTeach Volume 15 • Issue 3 13 Spring 2023