Amanda Harrison, Director of DC’s Innovation Academy, joins Choir Director Scott Archer in front of the Hawks’ trophy case.
Decatur Central High School’s Assistant Superintendent, Dr. Stephanie Hofer recognized the DCHS Expressions Show Choir at the MSD Decatur Township School Board Meeting on April 11. They are (from left), Judy Collins, School Board President; Mrs. Amanda Harrison, Director of DCHS Innovation Academy; Ms. Jennifer Pollard, DCHS Choir Accompanist/Assistant, student leaders Kyleigh Brown, Co-President; Julie Arteaga, Head Dance Captain; Gabriella Molina, Assistant Dance Captain; Josephine Guerrero, Assistant Dance Captain and Dr. Matt Prusiecki, Superintendent. Not pictured: Scott Archer, DCHS Choir Director.
By Steve Page
Correspondent
For Decatur Central High School’s show choir Expressions, the music is reflected in the group’s comeback.
That rally took it all the way to the Indiana State School Music Association state finals.
For the first time.
The Hawks had not ascended to such a lofty status until this season.
“We’ve been coming back ever since Covid,” explained DCHS Choir Director Scott Archer. “It especially hit choir hard. Marion County didn’t want students singing closely. The rule for a while was 10 feet apart. Those were abnormally hard years. We lost a few kids, because they couldn’t sing.
“That’s where this push came from. Just getting kids back into that was a big part of it.”
It was indeed.
Show choirs compete in various contests from October until March. Judges compile team scores as the season progresses. Then, the top nine scoring teams in each division qualify for state.
This was the first time Decatur Central had compiled enough points to reach state.
The Hawks accomplished that with the performance entitled “Stronger.”
“The show this year was about growing, overcoming hard times, becoming stronger than yesterday,” Archer said. “Times are hard. But we grow.
“We sing ‘Destiny’s Child.’ Then we go to ‘Change It,’ a Dolly Parton song. We don’t like where we are, so we do something about it.
“Then we sing ‘Skyscraper.’ That says ‘I’ve built myself up so tall that I’m a skyscraper. It’s empowering.
“Then we finish with ‘Boss.’ Things were hard, but I’m in charge now.”
It’s so much more than just standing there singing.
Show choirs also dance.
“It’s how show choir works,” Archer continued. “Our show is about 15 minutes long. We start in October, and the competitive season ends in March. So they can sing and dance better as they go.
“It’s hard when it’s a side thing. It takes a lot of skill building, a lot of technique. They put it all together in this core show that we can take to competitions.”
Just competing is an exercise unto itself.
“The competitions can be very, very long days,” Archer noted. “There are times we arrive at school at 4 a.m. We pack up the truck with set pieces, costumes and equipment. Once we get to the site of the competition, they get dressed and ready. They have a 25-minute warmup. Then they perform the show before a panel of judges. Then we wait for the awards ceremony.
“Shows have 10 to 15 schools competing – sometimes 40. They take the top scorers and put them in the night show.
“Expressions did a great job. Every time they did their job, took the feedback from the judges, then improved for the night show. Sometimes, that takes up to 11 o’clock. Those can be 20-hour days for these kids. That’s a lot of time.”
Archer does not do this by himself.
Jennifer Pollard is the DCHS Choir Accompanist/Assistant. Amanda Harrison, Director of DC’s Innovation Academy, oversees the band and choir shows.
“Something like this takes a village,” explained Harrison, who moved to Decatur from Ben Davis, where she was the director of choirs. “Now, as an administrator, I’m helping however I can.
“We have great parent support and the students who are the crew – roadies. The payout is just so high.
“The musicianship and the skills we teach, like perseverance, pushing through to the end and becoming stronger. Scott’s done a great job, allowing the students to lead from within. That infrastructure has been instrumental – pun intended – in their success.”
DC Principal Tom Wachnicki is more than appreciative.
“People don’t realize what it takes when it comes to competitive music,” he said.
He cites as an example soccer around the world, noting that soccer in this country is at one level, soccer in Germany is at a higher level and soccer in England is at the top.
“Indiana,” he said, “happens to be the England of competitive music.”
Correspondent
For Decatur Central High School’s show choir Expressions, the music is reflected in the group’s comeback.
That rally took it all the way to the Indiana State School Music Association state finals.
For the first time.
The Hawks had not ascended to such a lofty status until this season.
“We’ve been coming back ever since Covid,” explained DCHS Choir Director Scott Archer. “It especially hit choir hard. Marion County didn’t want students singing closely. The rule for a while was 10 feet apart. Those were abnormally hard years. We lost a few kids, because they couldn’t sing.
“That’s where this push came from. Just getting kids back into that was a big part of it.”
It was indeed.
Show choirs compete in various contests from October until March. Judges compile team scores as the season progresses. Then, the top nine scoring teams in each division qualify for state.
This was the first time Decatur Central had compiled enough points to reach state.
The Hawks accomplished that with the performance entitled “Stronger.”
“The show this year was about growing, overcoming hard times, becoming stronger than yesterday,” Archer said. “Times are hard. But we grow.
“We sing ‘Destiny’s Child.’ Then we go to ‘Change It,’ a Dolly Parton song. We don’t like where we are, so we do something about it.
“Then we sing ‘Skyscraper.’ That says ‘I’ve built myself up so tall that I’m a skyscraper. It’s empowering.
“Then we finish with ‘Boss.’ Things were hard, but I’m in charge now.”
It’s so much more than just standing there singing.
Show choirs also dance.
“It’s how show choir works,” Archer continued. “Our show is about 15 minutes long. We start in October, and the competitive season ends in March. So they can sing and dance better as they go.
“It’s hard when it’s a side thing. It takes a lot of skill building, a lot of technique. They put it all together in this core show that we can take to competitions.”
Just competing is an exercise unto itself.
“The competitions can be very, very long days,” Archer noted. “There are times we arrive at school at 4 a.m. We pack up the truck with set pieces, costumes and equipment. Once we get to the site of the competition, they get dressed and ready. They have a 25-minute warmup. Then they perform the show before a panel of judges. Then we wait for the awards ceremony.
“Shows have 10 to 15 schools competing – sometimes 40. They take the top scorers and put them in the night show.
“Expressions did a great job. Every time they did their job, took the feedback from the judges, then improved for the night show. Sometimes, that takes up to 11 o’clock. Those can be 20-hour days for these kids. That’s a lot of time.”
Archer does not do this by himself.
Jennifer Pollard is the DCHS Choir Accompanist/Assistant. Amanda Harrison, Director of DC’s Innovation Academy, oversees the band and choir shows.
“Something like this takes a village,” explained Harrison, who moved to Decatur from Ben Davis, where she was the director of choirs. “Now, as an administrator, I’m helping however I can.
“We have great parent support and the students who are the crew – roadies. The payout is just so high.
“The musicianship and the skills we teach, like perseverance, pushing through to the end and becoming stronger. Scott’s done a great job, allowing the students to lead from within. That infrastructure has been instrumental – pun intended – in their success.”
DC Principal Tom Wachnicki is more than appreciative.
“People don’t realize what it takes when it comes to competitive music,” he said.
He cites as an example soccer around the world, noting that soccer in this country is at one level, soccer in Germany is at a higher level and soccer in England is at the top.
“Indiana,” he said, “happens to be the England of competitive music.”
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