Piute High Schools have many great programs for their students to expand their creativity and general skills. One program that has grown exponentially in the last few years is their choir class. The choir class, directed by Mr. Tyrel Ivie, puts on a choir concert in the fall and in the spring. The spring concert always follows the same theme: rock and roll songs. This makes the choir program stand out from other school’s because while other schools learn classical music, Piute learns about the songs from the 80s and 90s – specifically, the songs that made music history and made the inspiration for songs today.
Making a Rock N’ Roll Concert
This year’s rock and roll concert was themed, “I Love Rock N’ Roll,” featuring the 8EEZ, a band out of Cedar City. The concert was held in Piute’s auditorium on March 25 at 5:00 p.m. The concert was around 80 minutes long with the performance of 17 songs. Eight of the songs each had their own soloists who were students in the choir classes. If the students wanted to have a solo, they had to learn the words to the song and then get up in front of the class and audition for it.
Holding Tryouts
Not only was trying out for a solo hard, but choir teacher Tyrel Ivie had to make the hard decision of what song suited a singer the best. He said, “It’s probably the most difficult part of the show. Number one is the quality of the singer. Do they have the chops, can they handle it. Number two is do they know the song? In the past I’ve had great singers, but they didn’t put in the effort to learn it. So I look for someone who has both, someone who has great vocals but is willing to learn the song.”
Mr. Ivie added, “We have very capable singers here. I have to put kids with a song that works with them. We have many kids who can do it all, so it is a difficult process for me.”
Putting on a choir concert in itself is a long and difficult process. It involves making sure the students know their parts, the band is ready, all technology is working properly so everyone can hear the music, making the concert fun for the performers and audience, and many more things that the audience isn’t aware of.
Finding the Band
“I have to search for a band well before the kids get back from Christmas break,” Ivie said. “The band adds a lot of power and excitement to the show, so we want the best of the best. Getting sheet music is another process that not many people see. I have some of my students from the Digital Audio Class help me with putting together sheet music.”
Another challenge to make sure the concert goes well is that everyone is prepared. “We need to be ready whenever rehearsal starts before the concert. This year we unfortunately had to cut two songs because our concert was a lot earlier this year [than] in the past. I have to make sure the students and I feel comfortable with the readiness of every one of the songs.”
At 12:00 p.m. on Saturday March 25, the choir students headed over to the high school for a quick practice with the band. The choir and band learn all the songs on the set list separately and get to practice together the day of the concert. They spend a few hours rehearsing together, going over every song and making sure the band, choir and technology are on the same page. After rehearsals, the students headed home to get ready for their big show.
Showtime
At showtime, the choir opened with the well-known song, “We Built This City” by Starship. After the song, Mr. Ivie talked to the audience about the show. After a few words, the next song, “Do You Believe in Love” by Huey Lewis was performed with soloist Tera Morgan. To add excitement to the show, the choir pulled out some red heart-shaped shades to wear during the song. “Livin’ on a Prayer” by Bon Jovi and “Lights” by Journey with soloist Madison Remund were the next two songs. Following “Lights” was “We’re Not Gonna Take It” by Twisted Sister, “If I Could Turn Back Time” by Cher and with soloist Kinley Shakespear, and “Heaven Is A Place On Earth” by Belinda Carlisle with soloist Makayla Miramontes.
The show was almost halfway through so it was time for the choir to take a short break and listen to Mr. Ivie and his talented wife Christie Ivie sing a duet, “After All” by Cher and Peter Cetera. Not only was the audience blown away by the performance, but so was the choir. None of the students knew that their teacher was going to give a short performance of his own, but it sure was an excellent one.
The choir’s favorite song, “Love Shack” by The B-52’s followed the duet. After the high energy song came “Separate Ways” by Journey, sung by soloist Katie Snyder. “Crazy Train” by Ozzy Osbourne, “Jump” by Van Halen, “Keep On Loving You” by REO Speedwagon, and “You Give Love a Bad Name” by Bon Jovi, sung by soloist Saige Remund were the next five songs.
Dive into the World of Rock and Roll
“I Love Rock n’ Roll” by Joan Jett & the Blackhearts and the unforgettable, “Don’t Stop Believin’” by Journey, sung with soloist Taylor Gleave, were the last two songs … or so everyone thought. Surprising the crowd and breaking tradition, “Don’t Stop Believin’” wasn’t the last song. With high energy the band started up the final song of the evening, “Holding Out for A Hero” by Bonnie Tyler, sung by soloist Ari Hurdsman. Christi Ivie also joined Ari on the last chorus of the song, making one amazing song to end the show.
Once again, Piute’s choir put on a phenomenal performance filled with energy and good music. This annual choir concert is always one that Piute fans look forward to as it not only showcases the talented singers in Piute, but also is just a good time for parents, grandparents, friends and more to dive into the world of rock and roll.
– by Ari Hurdsman (18) Junction
Feature image caption: Soloist Katie Snyder belts “Seperate Ways” by Journey with the choir.
Read about Piute’s latest choir concert in Piute’s Winter Choir Concert 2023.
Ari Hurdsman – Junction
Ari Hurdsman is a junior journalist at the Byway. She just recently moved to Ephraim, Utah, where she is a freshman at Snow College. She enjoys writing about Piute sports, and she’s really good at it! In her free time, she enjoys singing, dancing, reading and hanging out with friends and family.