Toni Garrard Clay/AISD Communications Specialist
Bridget Scott was born to be a music teacher. The daughter of music teachers and a gifted singer and musician herself, Scott spent years educating fourth- and fifth-grade students at Athens ISD about the beauty and possibilities of music.
“My main job was to get them excited about it,” she said. Then two years ago, Scott took over the program at Athens High School and began to work with some of the very same students she had taught as youngsters. “The seniors who graduated last year were the first class of fifth-graders I had taught.”
Scott said she has particularly enjoyed the opportunity to develop the skills that were just becoming evident with her younger students. “I am in a position to see them go from being the little ones banging on drums to being passionate about music,” she said.
That passion is contagious, and the program is growing. There are 80 students spread throughout show choir, varsity choir and treble choir this year. Last year, there were 54, including eight graduating seniors.
“We have fun, but Mrs. Scott takes it seriously,” said sophomore Ethan Condon.
“I want them to work for excellence,” said Scott, “to understand what it’s like to work hard and be proud of what they earned. In choir, kids have the opportunity for a lot of success.”
They also have the opportunity to be in community with one another, to have a place to call their own. Senior Amy Schoonover, who plans to study music at the collegiate level, said a person is never alone in choir. “Not only here, but wherever we go, individually or in group, I’m able to see friends I’ve met at different places. Choir makes a big family.”
“I had never really been ‘in’ something,” added sophomore Bethany Oglesby, “and I feel like I’m a part of choir. It feels like a place I belong, and it’s made me more confident.”
Opportunities to see the choir perform are plentiful throughout the year. During the holiday season, the 14-member show choir entertains for several area organizations. Separate from that, four concerts were or will be held for the community this school year: Fall, Christmas, pre-contest and Spring. The pre-UIL contest concert will be March 21 at 7 p.m. at the AHS annex auditorium, where both the middle school and high school choirs will perform their contest pieces. The spring concert will be held sometime in May.
“I’d love to have even more students and more choirs, not for the sake of numbers but so that more students will experience this joy,” said Scott.