It's part Sing, part America's Got Talent, and all hard work. Show choirs are a popular activity at many high schools in our area. But getting ready for them? That takes years, this week eighty middle school students are participating in a week long show choir summer camp to prepare.
"I like everything about it," Zola Madson says.
Show choir is an extra serious extra curricular in the small school district. These pre-teens are already thinking about years down the road. The aspiration is Westside High School's ATSC show choir,among the best in the country.
"Their high school is so amazing,"Jack Wimmer, and eighth grader says, "They went to Atlanta, Georgia this year and got second place in a national competition. I just want to be part of that."
Nick Djernes leads the middle school program, and says it serves as a training for the highly competitive high school show choirs.
"It is very much we are the miniature ATSC. You can look at our group and look at a picture from 2000, and then look at 2005, and there's those kids," Djernes said.
In total, they'll learn four songs and dances and an additional ballad. After four straight days, the kids will have a show of their own at 3:30p.m. Friday at Westside Middle School's auditorium. While the week is overwhelming, Djernes says, it sets the students up for success.
"The audition and our show {during the school year} is much less difficult than learning it in 4 days. They get months to learn and perfect it," he said.
