Once she found her passion for music and dance, sophomore Emi Lewis, Bel Canto and Chamber singer, Orchesis dancer, and violist in the Glenbrook Symphony Orchestra (GSO), found herself joining different programs to form connections with others who share the same interests as her. Lewis was able to meet people like senior Jia Kim, Tri-M Co-Secretary, Intonations Co-Manager, Chambers and Masters singer, and GSO violist, and senior Emma Yang, Masters singer, Principal GSO violist, and GSO Co-President.
Lewis’ fine arts journey began when she was young, as she stepped into her first dance lesson and first picked up the viola in fourth grade. This year, Lewis auditioned for Orchesis, an extracurricular dance group at South, expanding her love for dance.
“[Orchesis] is only [during] the [fall] where we rehearse our show in December,” Lewis said. “[Our directors] definitely work together to make sure that people that can do as many different things in the fine arts department as possible.”
Lewis, Kim and Yang are all members of the Tri-M National Honors Society, which has students usher different performances within the fine arts community ranging from concerts to musicals. Getting the chance to work with people from different ensembles isn’t an opportunity many are lucky to experience, but being able to do that through Tri-M helped form many new friendships, Kim said.
“I love watching [Tri-M] grow because [it is] filled with people who are passionate about music,” Kim said. “It’s [also] so nice to engage with people with the same interests as you.”
Along with being involved in Chambers with Lewis and Yang, Kim is involved in Intonations: a choir club at South that is a space for students who love to sing but don’t have time in their schedule for a choir elective. It’s amazing to see the community grow over the years, as it’s a fairly new club, Kim said.
“I really like seeing how much [Intonation has expanded],” Kim said. “It’s really nice to see that kind of legacy grow from the seniors of the past.”
Yang has dedicated a lot of her time towards GSO these past four years. She initially got involved in GSO her freshman year after playing viola for nine years, but enrolled in the choir program this year.
“Orchestra is the best part about my day,” Yang said. “I really like the community that we have [created within the] orchestra.”
Being a senior, Yang reflected on her past and how much she will miss the Fine Arts Department after being committed to the program over the years. The department is amazing, from the conductors to the people you meet, Yang said.
“I realized we only have five GSO [rehearsals] left in my life,” Yang said. “I have to appreciate [GSO].”
