If you were a true choir kid in high school, you know that there is a tight bond between your peers and your director. My high school choir director passed away this week, so this letter is for anyone who needs a reminder of how impactful their high school choir experience was.

Dear High School Choir Director,

Auditioning for choir during orientation for my Freshman year of high school was absolutely terrifying. I had no idea how to sightread music. I was timid, making my voice much quieter than you knew it could be, even then. You believed in me and stuck me in a choir and the learning I experienced was like drinking water that is barreling at you out of a fire hose. Music theory and dynamics were a huge part of our daily practice. When we weren't singing or learning theory, you gave us "homework days," knowing that these days were actually opportunities for us to build relationships with each other. We began to trust and love each other enough to let those relationships bleed into our music. In turn, the music we created was near perfection.

I will always remember when you took us across the ocean to Italy for an unforgettable choir tour. A group of around 20 high school students. You procured once-in-a-lifetime opportunities for us. We sang a mass in St. Peter's Basilica. We sang at the last audience of Pope Benedict XVI from the second row of the enormous auditorium. We saw and sang in beautiful churches, cathedrals, monasteries, and city squares. All thanks to you. We also forged bonds with each other that will continue for many years to come. We had so much fun, experienced so much culture, and sang more beautifully than any of us had ever or will ever sing.

I'll also never forget how you challenged us. You constantly pushed us to be better. Occasionally, you would push us to our breaking points. In the moment, we never really understood why we were being pushed so hard. We would cry and vent to each other after rehearsal. As I got older, I realized that you pushing us is how we learned. It is how we became so good at what we did. It is why I have the ability to discipline myself now. Your reminders to "work smarter, not harder" and to "not get stuck on stupid" were laughable to us at the time, but have stuck so near to our hearts in our progression into college and adulthood. What once were funny sayings from our eccentric high school choir director have become mottos for life. No matter how much you had to push us or work with us, you never gave up. You worked with us through the hard parts and constantly made us better. It showed in the beautiful music we made.

You treated us as if each student was your own child. You encouraged us, procured opportunities for us, supported us and laughed with us. I will never forget your smile. It is a reminder to me of your love for us and the joy that leading us brought to you. I cannot express how thankful I am to have learned from you. Your love for music became my love for music and has held a special place in my soul ever since then. I also cannot express how painful it is to know that you are no longer with us. I hope you are able to hear and see us from Heaven when we sing in your honor and remember you. I hope you see us and know that you were, are, and will continue to be loved by so many students, families, and patrons of the community for all that you did. From the bottom of our hearts: thank you. You will be missed.

With much love,

Your Students.