Meriam Bouchtout also contributed to this article.
On February 14th, the choir students at Malden High went from class to class singing to their peers. This event has been a tradition since the late 2000s. The choir students had been rehearsing for the event since last month though they had been listening to songs since December. They performed two lovely songs and everyone had a lot of fun. This event is unique and serves as a creative way to fundraise.
Todd Cole, the advisor for this event, had selected the songs that were performed for this event. Among the songs are the classic and lovely “Earth Angel” and Cole’s personal favorite “The Still of the Night”. He believed these songs would be suitable for the occasion and would be a great experience for the student performers. “I figured, why reinvent the wheel if it works,” Cole explained.
The idea for the fundraiser was originally proposed by a student who attended Malden High in the late 2000s. The student suggested that the choir should perform singing serenades, as it would be a profitable venture that would also benefit the community. “We’ve got to do singing serenades because it is pure profit, it’s singing and we’re doing something good for the community,” one student stated.
Cole decided to give it a try, and it turned out to be a huge success. However, due to the unpredictable weather, the serenades had to be canceled on many occasions in past years. Fortunately, this year they managed to get the serenades up and running again.
After spending weeks preparing for the event, the students formed their quartets and were ready to perform.
“Some people are naturally going to be embarrassed when they get a serenade, some people are going to be excited. It’s usually a range of emotions,” junior Natalie Keating explained. She couldn’t have been more correct, throughout the building these reactions were exactly as said.
Jasmin Diaz Gomez, one of the lead singers in a quartet, shared her experience, saying, "I was very nervous because I was the lead of my quartet but I was also excited." This seemed to be very common among the students performing, as it isn’t easy performing in front of your peers.
The students were able to connect as well. It’s easy to practice alone but in front of people, it can be challenging. “I think the most memorable part was while we were singing and I looked at my quartet and we all had reassuring looks on our faces and we just got comfortable singing together,” Gomez explained.
Students had various opinions, many seemed to enjoy the songs while others thought it was funny. “We got a lot of laughs when we would come into classes people seemed to really enjoy the performances,” said Esther Howse.
Some students commented that the event was embarrassing and a waste of time, but Gomez disagreed. "I would gladly do it again. I mean, other people find it embarrassing, but to me, it truly is fun." The wide range of emotions is what makes the event so entertaining.
While all the other Valentine's fundraisers were beautifully put together, the serenades were outstanding. It is certainly one for the books as it was so memorable. The talented students did a fantastic job and impressed Malden High.
