Valley Vista High School’s Voltage takes the stage for its set at the inaugural ‘Monsoon Madness’ show choir competition. (Photo by Ryan Pasiecznik/Cronkite News)
SURPRISE – Valley Vista High School’s show choir brought the house down with “Monsoon Madness,” a high-energy performance featuring powerful vocals, fast-paced choreography, and an electrifying audience response.
As Valley Vista choral director Preston MacDonald stood on stage to announce the competing finalists for the inaugural Monsoon Madness show choir competition, he took a moment to talk about a word that has meant a lot to him in his time within the show choir community: “impact.”
MacDonald had been wanting to put together a show choir competition for a long time. After traveling to out-of-state schools for competitions and competing in the Showdown in Desert at Boulder Creek High School, MacDonald believed he could host a similar event at “Valley Vista.”
“Kirk Douglas had his event at Boulder Creek, and I thought that I could learn from his event for a couple years and we can try this out,” MacDonald said. “One of the biggest influences for me is the Oceanside Sound-Off, which is the competition we go to basically annually at this point. It just feels like home every time we go there.”
The Oceanside Sound-Off takes place at Oceanside High School in Southern California. Part of what made the event feel like home for MacDonald is the strong community support he received from both Oceanside choral director Leah Ritt and the parents of students who participated in the show choir program.
Willow Canyon High School’s Willow Wisps show choir takes center stage for their performance on day one of the ‘Monsoon Madness’ competition. (Photo by Ryan Pasiecznik/Cronkite News)
In April 2024, the process began of putting together the Monsoon Madness show choir competition. MacDonald invited schools across Arizona, California and New Mexico to showcase their talents on his school’s stage. One year later, the competition was in full force with 25 groups from across the three states agreeing to join.
The event featured 13 mixed groups, nine treble groups and three middle school groups who competed over a two-day span from March 14-15. Burbank High School’s “In Sync” won the competition, followed by John Burroughs High School’s “Sound Waves,” La Cueva High School’s “Underground” and Burbank High School’s “Blue Impressions.”
La Cueva is located in Albuquerque, New Mexico while John Burroughs and Burbank traveled from Burbank, California.
For La Cueva choral director Katherine Green, the trip to Surprise meant more than winning.
“This means the world to us to have this opportunity,” Green said. “Because we are one of three show choirs in New Mexico, one being us at the high school level, and then our two theaters at the middle school level, this means a lot.”
While Monsoon Madness served as an opportunity for schools to compete through singing and dancing, it also served as a celebration of the impact show choir can have on each student.
For Shadow Ridge High School choral director Caryl Queen, it’s about students taking accountability and understanding their singing voices and dance moves can reach people.
“It’s the personal aspect, what you bring to the picture that helps the effectiveness of your group,” Queen said. “So you’re operating within a group but you’re also accountable … In our genre, we’re going to teach you to present yourself and impact an audience or communicate an idea.”
The accountability aspect within show choir is something that isn’t new for students who are in it. Especially for students who participate in athletics.
Burbank High School’s ‘In Sync’ dazzles the audience with their award-winning ‘Truman Show’ performance at Monsoon Madness. (Photo by Ryan Pasiecznik/Cronkite News)
Burbank High School junior Truth Herring not only sings on stage, but he also performs on the gridiron. Herring, who has been playing football since his freshman year, recognizes how show choir has helped him with his technique in football.
“I’ve seen a lot of similarities between brotherhood and camaraderie in both,” Herring said. “But I’ve gotten a lot of things better with choir and football. Choir and dancing has made me balance better in football. I’m a lineman so I can be more shifty and it helps out a lot.”
Show choir’s platform has been a family tradition. Jeannette Williams currently has a daughter in Valley Vista’s show choir program and had two sons who did it in the past. Her kids used the opportunity to elevate themselves and reach new levels.
“As a show choir parent, show choir means belonging. It’s a place where students can feel loved and a part of something amazing,” Williams said. “They’ve been able to grow their own talents even the talents they didn’t even know they had.
“Their confidence grows over the time they are there and fears which are great to practice getting over, they have opportunities to practice trying things and not being afraid to try them.”
Plenty of work goes into making a show choir set. From being able to sing the right notes, understanding the dynamics and making sure the dance moves fit the song lyrics, details are key to success.
However, developing a team mindset not only helps the students stand out on stage but also beyond that.
“I think working as a team is an important skill to learn early on because that’s what we do in life,” MacDonald said. “We have to learn to work as a team whether it be with our families, our spouses or at work with our teams.
I feel like what I’m trying to teach kids is that hard work and determination can set you up for success in life. And if you rehearse the way you’re going to perform it, if you don’t just go through the motions and put your all into it, you’ll yield some really amazing results.”