By forming a new a cappella group, Crescendo aims to bring together all students interested in a cappella through weekly meetings.
Crescendo leaders Vienna Fulginiti and Shannon Stover keep the a cappella tradition of being a student-run group.
The group meets every Thursday after school and sometimes during Red Zone if necessary.
“The history with the a cappella groups is that they are completely student-led,” choral activities director Jon Timmons said, “but I really like the fact that it’s completely student-led and run. It gives the two directors a chance to step into a leadership role and kind of do what I do.”
By having the leadership of two student directors, most members believe that there is a better dynamic between leaders and members.
“The leaders are very chill and they have a good balance of work and play,” sophomore Caetlyn Stover said.
According to Fulginiti, as a co-leader of Crescendo, she now has new responsibilities.
“I have never been in a leadership role with something like [Crescendo],” Fulginiti said. “I’m president of concert choir but I don’t make constant decisions on who gets solos, and things. So, it’s been very weird to be on the other side of the fence.”
Being on the other side of the group is what Stover finds “strange” yet also “intriguing.”
Although the directors have lots of fun leading students, it’s not all easy. Picking people for solos or special parts gets difficult for them.
“It’s a different kind of atmosphere for [the leaders],” Timmons said, “and it really pushes them to have to be creative and have to really work together because it’s very different than a teacher dictating everything.”
When picking students to join Crescendo, Fulginiti and Stover kept an open mind. They were mostly focused on finding students with good character.
“Before joining, the only thing that I think you would need is to be good with other people,” Fulginiti said. “I need you to be able to work with other people in sections and figure things out or problem solve.”
Fulginiti and Stover also aim to create a dedicated group of singers within Crescendo.
“We want people who have a good attitude because we’ve had people who were enthusiastic to join and then stopped being committed to it,” Stover said.
Crescendo is different from the other a cappella groups because it invites all singers from different voice parts.
“It’s also co-ed so it’s SATB, and none of the a cappella groups do that,” Fulginiti said.
SATB stands for soprano, alto, tenor and bass.
Having a more inclusive group gives the singers abilities to do different songs and create what in music Timmons calls a different “color.”
“The other difference with a co-ed group with SATB, there’s often a lot more flexibility in the music,” Timmons said. “Sometimes, there’s a lot more music out there that’s easier to find.”
Members of the a cappella group find the friendships and relationships they made within it to be “uplifting” and “memorable.”
“Everyone’s really nice and it’s a really inviting environment so everyone kind of becomes friends,” freshman Aimal Ahmad said.
According to Stover, the a cappella mostly consists of freshmen and sophomores, but the group is open to any students of any grade joining.