Perry Choir sang a perfect pitch at the Worldstrides Onstage Festival at Universal Studios Hollywood on  Mar. 30 to Apr. 2. Competing against six other schools, Intermediate Choir received second place silver, Concert Choir received first place gold, Women’s Advanced Choir received first place gold, and Jazz Choir received silver. Jazz Choir competed solo in the competition, so they did not receive a placement. Jazz Choir received silver because they received points in the 80s range.

Junior McKenna Clausen, a member of Jazz and Concert Choir, said, “I thought everyone performed really well and we all showcased what we have been practicing on and our dedication definitely paid off.”

The Choir was scored on a 100-point scale: 90 and above was gold, 80 to 89 was silver, and 70-79 was bronze. Since Jazz Choir received a score in the 80s, they received silver. There was a panel of three judges who scored them.

“Their hard work and attention to detail [contributed to their success]. The judges scoring us are usually college-level choir conductors, so they pay very close attention to the little expressive details of the music. The students’ hard work was the biggest factor,” Choir teacher, Jameson Staley, said.

According to Staley, Concert Choir saw the most change in competition. The previous year, they received silver, but this year they were given gold, which is the first time in six years this has happened. However, the Advanced Women’s Choir has now received gold three years in a row.

Junior Cole McClure, a member in Concert and Intermediate Choir, said, “it was more of a fun experience than a competition. We were able to get really good feedback right then and there. [The judges] were able to come up and talk to us.” Concert Choir received a 93, 94, and a 95 from the judges.

The Choir teams received constructive feedback from the judges right after they performed by giving them pointers on how to stand and portray themselves effectively.

Junior Rene Muller, a member of Intermediate and Advanced Women’s Choir, said that “to actually have those dynamics and have that emotion, was our problem. That was our main critique [from the judges]; we don’t show emotion.” Advanced Women’s Choir received a 94, 95, and a 95.

According to many of the members of Choir, this festival was mainly an experience of learning rather than a competition. Every student involved in Choir, no matter their title or experience, was able to go and participate. By competing, students were given the opportunity to gain feedback and pinpoint what they needed to do to get better for the next competition.

Muller commented, “I was crying afterwards because I was that happy. We pulled it together and we did really well.”