Hours of practice, hard work and fun paid off Feb. 13 when Edmond Memorial’s show choir, Take Note, took home numerous awards from the Duncan show choir contest.

The group achieved best 6A show choir, best women’s show choir, best vocals and high school sweepstakes. Sweepstakes, the highest award that can be received, is received when the choir is best overall against the other high schools participating in the contest. This award is a result of their work and dedication, which their instructor Mary Beth Singleton has proudly witnessed.

“This is only their third year to be a women’s show choir,” Singleton said. “Over the past three years, they’ve learned a lot and become more confident.”

Although the program is only in its third year, they’ve already achieved numerous awards. The steps the show choir has taken in such little time is evidence that their hard work has paid off.

“I decided to be in Take Note because I thought it would be a really big step in my musical career,” sophomore Sierra Graham said.

Take Note prepares students for their future careers in the performing arts. It doesn’t just teach them how to sing and dance, but it builds their confidence and teaches them the skill of hard work which is needed later in life. Through all of this, the girls become like a family.

“The girls keep us motivated to keep trying and keep doing what we love,” sophomore Mary Beth Horton said. “They push us to the best state we can be in.”

The teammates have supported each other and created a community where mistakes are okay, as long as they keep trying. Through Take Note, the students have built bonds that wouldn’t have been formed otherwise.

Take Note will be going to the Santa Fe show choir contest in a few months, and until then, they will be rehearsing and preparing for it.

Auditions for Take Note in the 2020-2021 school year will be in May. Any current Memorial freshman, sophomore or junior planning to do choir the following year is allowed to audition.

Contact Kelsi Seltenreich at [email protected]