From tenor to soprano, the sweet melodies of the CPHS choir have not always been a part of senior Ryan Sawicki’s life, but coming together as one unified chorus with fellow passionate performers, in addition to collecting numerous awards and achievements, has since defined his high school career and goals for the future.

 “I joined choir in the second semester of my junior year, which is unconventional to say the least,” Sawicki said.“I had never sung in front of other people and I had no idea how to read music in the slightest. That being said, some of my wonderful friends and [choir directors] Holt and Malone were all there to help me catch up.”

While his pursuit of music only began in recent history, singing had always been a dream of Sawicki’s. However, any reservations of his for finally seeking an outlet to sing were all but alleviated at the attendance of his first choir show.

“I’ve loved singing since I was a kid and had wanted to sing, but never wanted to join choir because I thought it was all boring old classical music,” Sawicki said. “I had some friends in choir who coaxed me into coming to a concert, and that’s where I saw how much variety there was in all the types of music that a choir can perform.”

After discovering the wide range of opportunities available for being in choir, Sawicki did not waste any more time waiting to join the organization.

“I remember seeing Pitch Black perform at the Winter concert of my junior year and thinking, ‘that’s what I want to do’” Sawicki said, “So I joined.”

Since entering choir, he has collected numerous achievements including making first chair in the Tenor-Bass choir at the TMEA all-state competition, advancing to state in the UIL Solo & Ensemble competition and helping the choir score the highest possible ranking at UIL. He was elected as an officer this year, and earned a spot both in Varsity choir and the boy’s a capella group, Pitch Black- all in just a year and a half of being in the program.

“Since I joined choir, I’ve been super lucky to do well in a lot of things,” Sawicki said, “At first, I was terrified of singing in front of people in any capacity, but just being there helped me grow so much and get over my fears. I worked super hard to get to a point where I knew what I was doing.”

The impact of choir on Sawicki’s life does not end at awards and achievements, it also made an impact on his personal life and allowed for a more enjoyable lineup of educational involvements as well as his quality of life outside of school.

“Joining choir completely changed my high school experience,” Sawicki said. “Having something to work towards was really exciting and it finally felt like I had a purpose. On top of that, I made so many new amazing friends and memories in the time I was in choir that I’ll always cherish.”

While his initial hesitance and delayed entry into choir may have only been minor inhibitions for Sawicki, he urges students to try their best to overcome any fears they might have about getting involved later in high school.

“It’s definitely scary to feel like you’re behind everyone else in terms of skills, but any organization is going to be happy that you’re there and is going to welcome you with open arms and help you get caught up,” Sawicki said. “For me, joining choir was one of the best decisions I made in high school and it helped me so much more than I could have ever imagined. Take the risk.”