The first time I ever walked into a choir room was in 7th grade. I had no idea what I was getting myself into. Before I knew it I was taking singing tests to see which part I would be best at singing in. Before I knew it, I was given my first piece of sheet music, our high school Alma Mater. I learned how to sing the melody and then sing the song in my part (Alto II). The years went on in which I had a choir class one period a day for the next five years until I graduated until high school. I met some of my closest friends in choir, the kind of friends who share the same music taste you do and you can burst into an acappella version of "Bridge Over Troubled Water" with. I wouldn't trade that for anything in the world. I remember my last day in that choir room, it was beyond bittersweet. Within the short amount of time, I made a home in the choir room (aside from actually living there sometimes). I would always treasure those 45 minutes of the day to leave the stress of trigonometry or APUSH and to just sing. I sang my Alma Mater for the last time and said goodbye to the place that helped form who I was. When I left high school, I was terrified that I wouldn't be able to find something that could replace the way I felt in high school choir. I took a small chance on the new choir at Gannon and completely fell in love with it. I was singing the same songs I sung in my high school choir but with a different family and a brand new environment. College is all about taking a chance and I took a huge leap in joining that choir and it really paid off in the end. It wasn't until I joined that new choir that I fully learned of the beauty that music contains and the power it has to bring people together. The many people that I have encountered that I consider my closest friends are because of the horror stories I share with them about choir and the ones they share with me. I owe most of the success of my first year of college to the things I learned in choir and through the experiences I have had there. The family that I made in both college and high school will always be there for me when I just need to sing my heart out with some latin verses or a piece from the Les Mis soundtrack. I will always hold the first time I sang the Alma Mater in my heart, as well as the first time I walked into Gannon's choir room with the most joy ever. I want to extend the closest thank you to my high school choir director for all that he did for us and for my high school and college experience.