Pat Ward Photography

Beneath the bright lights of the stage are performers dedicated to the art of show choir. One of the best and brightest among them is Abraham Prince. Off the stage, he’s known for playing tenor on drumline along with his outgoing personality. When it comes to performance, he stands out with his strong stage presence and powerful voice. 

“I’d always been in choir, I tried out with [show choir] and I didn’t have the best time, but it was something I could comfortably say I wanted to do the next year,” Prince said.

Prince started his music career at five with piano lessons, which he continued for nine years. Currently he plays percussion, performing on the marching band drum line alongside his involvement in Synergy and Cantemus. He will be continuing percussion throughout the year performing in Symphonic Band with Mr. Crilly.

“Music has been in my life for my whole life. My first real encounter was when I was five when I started piano lessons,” Prince said. 

Prince first began show choir performing with Fusion in seventh grade after singing in choir and music classes since elementary school. He quickly fell in love with the sport, attending rehearsals and performing his heart out at competitions. Currently, he is under the direction of Mrs. Ryan within the highly competitive choir.

”He works really, really hard and I’m proud of him. He’s a joy to have in class,” Ryan said.

For this year’s Synergy show, Prince will be performing a solo in the song Seven Nation Army. This solo was highly sought after and very competitive within the choir. He was at lunch at the annual Knowledge Bowl when he received the news of his solo.

“I saw that I got the solo and I jumped probably three feet straight into the air. Then I walked around excitedly, exclaiming yes, over and over again,” Prince said.

Music has been a very influential part of Prince’s life, choir specifically affecting his character in many ways. He has grown both as a musician and as an individual throughout his years in choir. One of the main contributing factors to this growth being the community within various choirs.

“It’s definitely improved a lot of aspects about me. You learn a lot of valuable lessons, like how to interact with people in a positive manner,” Prince said. 

Outside of choir, Prince participates in a variety of activities including band, wrestling, weightlifting, track, Mock Trial, and Knowledge Bowl; among other hobbies such as reading. This year for marching band, he learned a new form of percussion, picking up the tenor drums for the first time. 

“I’ve put well over 100 to 200 hours just into practicing so I can get the music down so I can perform it,” Prince said.

Despite his unwavering drive to improve, in every show there are definite challenges. For Prince, movements two and four were the most difficult to learn due to the rapid introduction of new skills and music. 

“Those are difficult for me because it’s my first year, but it’s kind of fun learning them,” Prince said.

Even through those learning curves, Prince stays resilient. He continues to push himself to grow within all forms of music. While he has yet to decide whether or not to continue music as a career path, there’s no doubt about his dedication and love for the art of music and performance. He plans to continue progressing in choir throughout high school, growing his skillset and adding to his repertoire.

“You’ll never find a set of people like the people in Synergy… it’s my first year, but I’ve already felt how amazing the people are,” Prince said.