This semester has brought about a significant boost to the number of male students interested in Bearden Singers, after two years with fewer new students.

In contrast to a mere 38 enrolled in the class last semester, the audition-only choir has increased to 60 students this term – a feat that choir teacher Ms. Mary Sexton accredits to a sudden concentration of male singers.

“We’ve had some really solid transfer students come out of nowhere, from Florida and all kinds of places,” Ms. Sexton said. “Again, the continuity in the middle schools has caused the boys to want to go ahead and sing in high school.

“And then also some of the guys want to get in a capella, and Bearden Singers has almost become like a prerequisite.”

The program has also seen an increase in boys in musical theater who account for a large portion of the 30-strong section.

“(Drama teacher) Mrs. (Leann) Dickson really recommended it to me as a precursor for musical theater, and she said it would be really good for my voice, so I gave it a shot,” said sophomore TJ Seaman, a new member of both programs.

This will be Seaman’s first time in a choir, and he is a fan so far. He says he plans to take the course in order to broaden his vocal experience.

This change in the demographic has also altered the choir’s overall sound.

Sophomore Alex Clevenger says that the larger male section has increased the competition between the singers and motivates everyone to learn their music at a faster and more efficient pace.

“We’re way stronger,” Clevenger said. “We just sound better in general.”

Fellow sophomore member Katie Leonard also attests to the overall improvement in sound.

“It makes me happy,” Leonard said. “The boys haven’t really been into the whole choir thing for the past couple years, and the up-rise means that more people are being interested into the arts.”

With a substantial increase in vocal power, Bearden Singers moves forward into the semester with newfound strength that they hope will earn them top scores at festival in March.