Earlier in the school year, auditions were held for the Greenwood High School (GHS) Acapella group. With 26 people making it and Ms. Sells being the director, there is never a dull moment. The girls’ group is called Emerald Harmony and the boys’ group is Sound Bites. Between ASMR and just a beat, this is GHS Acapella with Maysen Gibson, Izzy Orr, and Ms. Abigail Sells.
Gibson, a freshman at GHS, is part of the group. Gibson got into singing because of her brother and Ms. Sells suggested Acapella after having her in choir class. For the audition, she got to pick whatever song she wanted to. She said it was “pretty easy” when auditions were taking place. During their practices, they break off into their groups and work on their parts. After that, they come back together to combine all the parts. Her mom and Ms. Sells were her main encouragement when going out for the group. She also thought it sounded fun so she auditioned and made it. She isn’t sure of her future in singing. She enjoys singing, but she doesn’t see it as a career. The way she keeps the beat easiest – without instruments – is with ASMR tapping. Everyone around her says it is a constant, but they love it because it’s Maysen. Pictured left with photo by Kristie Johnson (photo 1)
Orr, a freshman at GHS, is also part of the group. She is a Soprano 1. Her main selling point when auditioning was her love/passion for singing. It was another way for her to do something she loves. She is looking forward to being in Acapella. They rehearse every Monday after school until 3:45. One of her favorite parts of Acapella is the music. A piece they have done is “Super Trooper” from Mamma Mia. This is her first year in Acapella because she is a freshman and it is only offered in high school. She plans on auditioning for Acapella every year she can because she believes that it is a super great group. If she doesn’t make the group next year, she states, “I would be sad, but I wouldn’t be out of the circle because they are all my friends and I have choir class with Ms. Sells so I’ll get to see her still.” Orr explains the group gets its integrity from the people. When she was a kid, she found her love for singing in church and then started singing in the school choir at Drakes Creek Middle School. Her whole family sings; her sister and brother are majoring in music at WKU (Western Kentucky University) and Belmont University in Nashville. She sings the highest part in the girls group. She is looking forward to the concerts that they perform throughout the year. Photo by Abigail Orr (photo 2)
Ms. Sells (the choir teacher, Acapella director, and Spring Musical Music Director) was giving insight on the instructor’s point of view. When starting the 2024-2025 Acapella group, she believed that, “It has just always been the expectation. I think there were groups before I got here.” She was in choir and Acapella throughout elementary, middle, and high school. She played the violin when she was 4, which got her into music. She grew up around music, and she was introduced to singing throughout church. She loves the environment; furthermore, since they are a smaller group, they get to spend more time together and become closer friends. The Acapella group gets more performances and they go out to eat and hang out a lot. She encourages people to audition next year and be a part of the many music programs provided here at GHS. Photo from GHS Teacher Websites Page (photo 3)
In conclusion, Acapella is a group that a lot of people enjoy participating in. It has a strong positive environment with connections throughout the group. All can agree that between the group dinners, concerts, and practices, these are friendships that will last. You can join any of GHS’s music programs, including Acapella, by reaching out to your counselor.
