Main Street Singers By Rachel Sims
D
uring a tour of old ancient caves in Africa, I walk along slowly with a group of interested people who are listening intently to their tour guides. Half of the group are teenagers, and I assume they are on a field trip to be educated about the history of the caves. However, I am soon proven wrong when a man, who seems to be their teacher, lifts his arms and gives a stern look. As if it was an unspoken language, those same teenage students line up in a formation and lock their eyes on the same man. He lifts his arms onces again, and bold tones from the alto, tenor, bass, and soprano section blend together to form a beautiful song. Other visitors and I are taken by immediate surprise. I look around to see how other people are reacting. Some stare with open mouths, while others begin to take our their smart phones and record
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the event. The students sing with precision and beauty, finishing every song with grace. I look around to the tour guide to see if people singing in the middle of the caves was allowed. The tour guide, also taken by surprise, stands still, mesmerized by the music. When the group is finished, I immediately run up to the teacher, who I know know is the choir director and ask who they are. I find out that they are the Main Street Singers from Los Altos, California in the United States. The Main Street Singers are a High School Choir that is directed by Mark Andrew Shaull. “When I thought of what I would like to create at Los Altos High School I envisioned an ensemble that would reward students for their hard work and achievement, and provide opportunities to expand their sense of the world and expose
them to many different cultures” (Shaull). He also wanted Singers to have a vast repertoire, with songs from various genres. The Main Street Singers is an elite group of dedicated singers that for the past 31 years have toured the world while performing in concerts. Singers range in age from 15 to 18 years old and consist of 10th to 12th graders. Being a Main Street singer requires a lot more work than you might think. They have a rigorous training schedule and practice at least once a day. Shaul explains how he manages the choir:, “I can be more aggressive at times and do tend to expect every minute of class to be working - there’s not much downtime” (qtd. in Ma). Singers must have a strong commitment to the rehearsal schedule Mr. Shaull sets up for them. They must be present at every rehearsal, and ready to take on whatever challenges come in their way. If a student shows up and is lacking determination and perseverance, Shaull will simply say “If you are not willing to work, go home, this is not the place for you.” However, despite how tough, challenging, and tiresome rehearsals might be, all the singers’ hard work pays off in their achievements. The Main Street
Singers was created by Mark Andrew Shaull in 1986. Since then the Singers have had concert tours all over Europe, Asia, Central America, South America, the Middle East, and as of this year, South Africa. The group is highly respected and has an excellent reputation in international choral circles. They have performed with world renowned orchestras such as the Xiamen Philharmonic, Beijing Youth Philharmonic, San Felice Orchestra of Florence, the Lima Philharmonic, the Brasov Conservatory Orchestra, the Dubrovnik Symphony and the Buenos Aires Conservatory Orchestra. They also have performed at various international festivals, taking first place in 1991 at the International Choral Festival in Switzerland, and again placed 1st in an international competition with 800 choirs in St. Petersburg, Russia in 2014. Furthermore, the Singers perform in various state and regional events, secular as well as sacred places, and are active within their local communities, gracing elementary schools, hospitals, and senior centers.
ing, as singers get up and proceed on their way to a countdown breakfast. Countdown breakfasts are events that happen almost every Saturday in the month before tour. Singers gather at one person’s house and laugh over early morning orange juice and chocolate chip pancakes. They know breakfast is done when Mr. Shaull raises his arms and gathers everyone in a room. They sing a song that they know by heart to thank the parents for hosting their breakfast. Tired and full, the singers then head over to a select location to do a four to six hour rehearsal. The build up to tour is a hectic time for all Main Street members. Throughout the year, singers practice at least six days a week, however during this time, the amount of reIt’s 8:30 on a Saturday morn- hearsal time almost doubles.
Daily practices in the month before tour can last up to 6 hours. This is the time the Main Street Singers call “March Madness.” In the s a m e Los Alt o s Town Choir A r t i cle, Megan Ma talks about Shaul’s teaching styles during these rehearsals and states “Shaull has established a reputation as a strict teacher with a warm heart, and he makes no qualms about his demands.” “March is more about preparation for yet an even more intensive time; being on tour. Our goal is to craft a larger body repertoire of a more defined and higher level” (Shaull). He said his standards can be tough but contended the rigor motivates students to perform their best. Similar to Shaul’s views, in a National Association for Music Education article, the author talks about what it truly takes of the singers and the director in order to be a good choir. The author states, “At the heart of every good choral performance is an ensemble of singers committed to working for the common goal of creating a well-coordinated and inspired representation of the com3
poser’s intentions. But it is during the rehearsal process where the true foundations of fine performances are established.” During March Madness the singers balance practices, concerts, school work, and their own health. Singer Jeremy Bonte, a senior in his first year as a Main Street Singers reflects on March Madness practices and says, “Sometimes you show up from a pretty late night the day before and you have to be at the school at 5:30 to make pizza for the big fundraiser or you have to be at someone’s house at 9 am to have breakfast, and then sing for eight hours. That can really kinda destroy you like physically and mentally.” However, the hard work definitely is rewarded with an amazing pay off. In a Chorus America article, Kelsey Menehan discuss the importance and purpose of hard work and practice. She talks about how in a choral group singers have to put in time and effort in order to get
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the reward, which is pulling off a great performance. She says, “There’s no greater testament to the virtues of practicing than a beautiful performance.” Main Street Singers, feel that reward mostly when the go on their concert tour, where there is a performance almost every night, if not two. Maribelle Dickens, a third year singer in the Main Street Singers, talks about how great it feels when, you see your hard work pay off. She claims, “You also get to see how each detail impacts the whole and it’s just really fulfilling see the lead up to tour during march madness.” The Alarm sounds its sharp piercing tones and reads 7:30. Singers open their eyes, tired from returning from their late night evening performance, which was followed by dinner. They throw on clothes and rush down stairs to meet the rest of the choir for breakfast before heading out to the mountains of South Africa
for a Cape Canopy Tour. The Cape Canopy Tour consists of eleven zip lines through canopies and mountains. Singers arrive nervous yet excited
““If we’re not singing, were sightseeing, If were not sightseeing, were eating, if we’re not eating, were sleeping” for the experiment. Getting clipped into the harness their hearts start to race, the guide explains the safety rules, and off the singers go one by one through eleven zip lines seeing the amazing views of South Africa. Four hours later, everyone is finished and the singers gather to thank the guides for the activity they enjoyed so much. They thank them in song, singing a native South African sound, with native dance moves. Some guides join in and sing the song, some attempt to learn to do the dances moves, while other jubilate, making a high pitched tone, showing the singers how much they enjoyed their song. The singers then race into the bus, and arrive at the hotel with only twenty minutes to change and
come down for their evening concert. All the singers arrive on time, in full concert attire, with a black music binder in their hands, ready to perform in an hour and a half concert. The Main Street Singers have become known for their international concert tours, however only a few know what actually goes on behind the scenes. “If we’re not singing, were sightseeing, If were not sightseeing, were eating, if we’re not eating, were sleeping” (Shaull). Singer’s days are full of events with no seconds to rest. Singers can tour an Ostrich farm, walk around a museum, or participate in an hour and a half performance. Every day is different, unique, and fully packed with many things to do. “The purpose of tour is to really immerse yourself in the music and the culture of the country you’re visiting” (Dickins). Shaull makes it a priority for the singers to feel not only a musical connection, but a cultural connection to the place they are visiting. Singers will perform concerts with other local choirs, and will even sing a few songs to thank their waiter in a restaurant after they finish their meal. Lauren Lunsford, a first year Main Street Singer, reflected on her time on tour In South Africa.
She says, “Basically it’s the time where you get to show the world, literally the entire world, all the work that you’ve accomplished. It’s basically this huge showcase and you get to travel and experience different cultures. South Africa was just absolutely incredible.” In addition to scheduled concerts, Shaull will motion the singers to get in a formation, and perform a few songs that catch the public by surprise. “ You get to perform in these places where there are random people, who do not even know that you’re going to sing and all the sudden you’re singing and everyone’s completely silent like looking at you. It’s really great and people appreciate songs and music, even when they weren’t expecting it. I like it a lot. I think those are some of my favorite performances, just kinda catching people off guard” (Dickins). “The audience wasn’t still at all. they weren’t quiet at all but they loved it. got up and they started singing with us or they were like “yeah amen” kind of a thing especially with all of our gospels. They were like really into it and very vocal about it and e x tremely encoura g i n g ”
(Lunsford). In addition to the Main Street members who come to the concerts on tour, or those who are caught by impromptu concerts, there are many people behind the scenes who make sure the tour goes smoothly. “There are the students, the parents, and many others in the background who contribute to pulling off a big concert tour” (Shaull). Chaperones attend tour with Main Street Singers, and attend every concert, as well as an accompanist. Everyone works together, to pull off the big international concert tours that the mainstreet singers are known for. In the future, Main Street Singers will continue to follow their reputation, touring internationally under the direction of Mark Shaull. New singers will replace older singers who have come to the end of their high school career. Those new singers and singers that are not graduating will tour next year to a location that is known only known by Shaull himself. Shaull will reveal the location to the new group some time in May. In April of the next year that same group will get their turn to tour the world. New singers will continue to work hard and challenge themselves, and feel that same sense of achievement when they finish the year. “I literally learned the meaning of music and this was the pinnacle moment in my choir experience as a Main Street Singer.” 5
W o r k s Cit e d Bonte, Jeremy. Personal interview. 31 Mar. 2016. Dickins, Maribelle. Personal interview. 10 Mar. 2016. Lunsford, Lauren. Personal interview. 11 May 2016. Ma, Megan. “Students Sing Out: Choir Experiences Provide for Well-rounded Education.” Students Sing Out: Choir Experiences Provide for Well-rounded Education. Los Altos Town Choir, 06 Feb. 2007. Web. 11 Mar. 2016. “MAIN STREET SINGERS.” MAIN STREET SINGERS. MAIN STREET SINGERS. Web. 12 Feb. 2016. Menehan, Kelsey. “Chorus America.” Chorus America Advocacy Research RSS. 06 Apr. 2016. Web. 19 May 2016. “Procedure and Stewardship in the Choral Rehearsal - National Association for Music Education (NAfME).” National Association for Music Education NAfME Procedure and Stewardship in the Choral Rehearsal Comments. 18 Sept. 2013. Web. 20 May 2016. Shaull, Mark Andrew. Personal interview. 17 Mar. 2016.
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