As October rolls into November and leaves start to fall from trees, Flint Hill students have been keeping busy; especially the Major Minors.
Major Minors, Flint Hill’s very own audition-only acapella group, has definitely started the year strong. Between an early Open Mic performance and bi-weekly rehearsals, the bunch has been committed to growing not only as a group of friends but also as a group of talented musicians.
While many Flint Hill students took this past long weekend as a chance to catch up on sleep or homework, the Major Minors saw it as a perfect time to venture on their annual Fall Tour. This year, the Major Minors decided to take their music to a couple of workshops at the University of Maryland, where they workshopped with two university-level acapella groups, DaCadence and Faux Paz. They spent time learning, singing, and getting to know one another over lunch. The experience was filled with tight-knit singing circles, and long bus rides filled with laughing and games.
While the tour was surely an overwhelming success as it served as a community-building opportunity, giving credence for fun bonding and icebreaker activities, it is safe to say that lots was learned musically. Across the two workshops, the Major Minors decided to perfect “Telephone” by Lady Gaga (featuring Beyoncé) and begin working towards a finished product of “No Tears Left to Cry” by Ariana Grande. Major Minors worked for hours with each group to add dynamics, increase flow, and develop strong musical phrasing. By the end of the day, both songs were in quality condition; the group was proud.
After speaking with a few current members, it can be said that the trip was none other than a sweeping success. Senior Christina Atalla shared some of her thoughts: “I found it [Fall Tour] to be a great opportunity to get to know some of our new singers…and I also thought we grew as a group throughout the day. On the bus ride there [the University of Maryland] we were piecing together one of our songs for the first time, and on the way back, it was like a completely different piece of music.”
Another Senior, Dylan Riihimaki, spoke about his experience as a first-year member of the group: “This is my first year doing Major Minors and I was a little nervous when I heard we’d be working with college students. Nevertheless it was so much fun and I wish that I had joined earlier.”
At the end of the day, the Major Minors Fall Tour was nothing short of a huge success. As the year continues, we look forward to hearing more from the group, and we’re excited for what they have in store next.
