RSS | 
Twitter
| 
Be a fan!
Waynesburg pair get a big thrill from festival experience
For the Observer-Reporter
newsroom@observer-reporter.com
Having the opportunity to attend the PMEA District I Honors Choir Festival at Upper St. Clair High School last weekend was an experience that will be hard to forget for Jordan Brooks and Kathryn Shepas of Waynesburg Central High School.
Rate This Story:
1 the lowest - 5 the highest
Current rating:
Jordan Brooks
Age: 17
Year: Senior
Part: Tenor I
He said it: "It was fantastic. It was such an amazing opportunity to sing with so many great and talented people. It was something I'm not really used to because it was entirely different than singing with your high school chorus ... the music was really challenging. The experience really pushed my limits. I loved it."
Private instruction: California University of Pennsylvania, Mon Valley Performing Arts Company
Activities: National Honor Society, Spanish Club, show choir, jazz choir, school plays and musicals. Brooks is preparing for a role as the wolf in "The Trial of the Big Bad Wolf." He has performed in five school musicals. He also is a member of his church choir at First Baptist Church in Waynesburg.
Future: Attend college and pursue a career in musical theater. "After being in so many musicals I realized that this is what I really love and that I want to keep going with it ... I feel at home on stage ... Doing musicals and other stage productions has really increased my confidence. It is one of the most important things in my life and I don't know what I'd do without it."
Parents: Carl and Valerie Brooks of Waynesburg
Kathryn (Katy) Shepas
Age: 15
Year: sophomore
Part: Alto
She said it: "I was a little nervous when I first got there, but then I realized that everyone was in the same boat. The whole choir together sounded amazing. When a bunch of talented singers come together like that, it makes for a great performance."
Private instruction: WVU Creative Arts Center with Dr. Mandy Spizak. "She has helped me improve my dynamics and get more vocal ability without controlling everything so much. She helped me with the audition piece so I'd have a good audition."
Activities: Art Club, concert and jazz choir, tennis. She is a cantor her church, St. Anne Parish in Waynesburg.
Future: She's considering a career in music or teaching. "Music always gives me an outlet to express how I am feeling that day. You can always sing on good days and bad. It will help me in the future because it has taught me how to work hard and it gives me an extra quality that many people don't have."
Parents: Richard and Christine Shepas of Waynesburg
