JustynAdventure: Mt. Sac Chamber Singers

Music has always been a part of my life. I come from a giant family who loves making music and singing. Whenever we get together, there’s always someone playing the piano or guitar. Before the night is through, we’re singing one of our favorite hymns in four-part harmony, with a descant included. It’s because of their influence that I decided to seriously pursue my own love of music.

I am the youngest girl of my nineteen cousins. Most of them are 20-30 years older than me, so I grew up watching them as they went to college and pursued their dreams. When I was barely starting Kindergarten, one of my cousins, Dorothy, lived with us while she went to college. It was from her that I first heard the name Bruce Rogers. He was the director of choral studies at Mt. San Antonio College. He personally lead its two world-renowned vocal groups, Mt SAC Chamber Singers (the advanced classical choir), and Singcopation (a 12-person vocal jazz group). Dorothy and her brother Reuben had the opportunity to be a part of both groups. They got to travel the world, compete on enormous stages, and perform in beautiful cathedrals. I found their world was so enticing. They were able to pursue music and travel the world. I wanted to be just like them.

I got my chance to audition right at the end of my senior year. I made an appointment with Mr. Rogers to go through my preliminary audition. I had to do this before I could move on to callbacks. I remember walking up the stairs for the first time. Little paper signs taped to the ground led up to the audition sign-in area. It was silent in the hallway as I followed. It was a Saturday, so there weren’t too many people on campus. There was nobody in the music building. I assumed I was getting closer when I could hear people talking in hushed tones and the faint sound of the piano danced through the air. I was in the right place. I followed the sounds and soon came across a group of students sitting around a desk outside of a classroom.

         “Hi there!” A boy with a brown floppy haircut approached me from the table. “Are you here for the auditions?” He asked, his smile warm and inviting.

         “Yes, Yes I am!” I answered. My voice squeaked out faster than I could process my answer.

He chuckled and reached out his hand. “My name is Avi. I’m a returning to the group and helping out today. What’s your name?”

         “I’m Cassie. Cassie Alura.”

         “Nice to meet you Cassie. Let’s get you signed in, and you can fill out the audition form and bring it in when it’s your turn.” He said as he guided me to the table. There I met two girls named Amanda and Stephanie who were also returning members and a boy named Jonathan who was also auditioning. He was up next. Avi got me signed in and offered me the audition sheet to fill out. I sat down at the table and began writing. Behind the girls was a door with a window. Inside you could see Mr. Rogers auditioning another student. He would play the piano and she would sing along. Her high soprano tone rose above the harmonies of the piano and pierced through the door. Suddenly my fingers felt frozen and stiff, and it was getting hard to breathe. I looked around the hallway and everyone was focused on the girl in the room. Her sound was amazing, unlike anything I’d ever heard before. Who was I compared to something like that? I could not even come close. I tried to focus my breathing to slow it down. I didn’t want anyone seeing me like this, let alone the people I was trying to impress.

         “Cassie?”

I could feel my heart calming down. My breath was becoming more even.

“Cassie?”

“You can do this.” I said to myself. “You can do this.”

“Hi, Cassie?”

I looked up from where I was sitting. There he was standing in front of me. He looked down at me and smiled energetically.

         “Hello, I’m Bruce Rogers.” He extended his hand out. My hand naturally gravitated to it.

         “Hi.” I said taking his handshake. “I’m Cassie.”

His smile came as warmly as Avi’s did, but his eyes looked down at me like a father’s would. “It’s very nice to meet you, Cassie. Are you ready?”

All my fear and anxiety still loomed in the air, but his warm smile seemed to give me a enough confidence to nod and stand up.

         “You can do this.” He said opening the door and inviting me in.

A month later I got a phone call. I was a Mt. Sac Chamber Singer.