LOS ALAMITOS, Calif – After two full weeks of school, the Los Alamitos High School choirs are getting ready for another extraordinary year. In addition to their new students, new choreography and new music, they welcome Mr. Davis, the new associate director of choral activities.
Mr. Davis completed his undergraduate at USC and earned his masters at Cal State Fullerton. After attending college, he was the director for the competitive show choir program at Glendora High School for four years and taught at Goddard Middle School. In total, he has taught five years of show choir, one being at Diamond Bar High School and the rest at Glendora.
At LAHS, Mr. Davis, along with Ms. Dherlin, the choir director, chooses music for the choirs, makes the choirs feel secure in their vocals and choreography and ensures that they uphold a high standard. Not only does Mr. Davis have to be the best version of himself every day, but he has to provide people who can do the same for the choirs. In addition, he has to put together an enjoyable show for the kids to perform and the audience to watch.
“I mean, we’re really just designing an experience, you know, for the students in our programs, and for their families,” Mr. Davis said.
Mr. Davis had an overwhelming, but outstanding first day, as he met many people for the first time. Although he had to learn over 300 people’s names, everyone was gracious and welcomed him into the LAHS community.
“I mean, every step of the way people have just been so warm and so welcoming and so kind to everyone. Everyone’s just been so nice and supportive of everything that I’ve been doing,” Mr. Davis said.
Furthermore, Mr. Davis made every student walking through the doors of the choir room feel accepted and excited for the year to come.
“He’s very nice and encouraging. He was absolutely welcoming on the first day and made all of us feel comfortable to start singing and dancing,” Annabelle Lai, a freshman in Xquisite, the intermediate women’s choir, said.
Part of the reason Mr. Davis loves his job is the students and how they unite to make art.
“Choir is just one of those things where we have the really athletic kids, we have the really expressive kids (and) we have the really musical kids. It’s just a really cool way to take all those different areas and kind of bring them together,” Mr. Davis said.
It’s evident that everyone involved in the choir program is excited to see what the new year, skills and director will bring.
“It just seems like we’ve got a really great momentum, a really positive energy, and so (my hope is) just maintaining that throughout the entire year, having some really amazing performances and just having a blast doing it,” Mr. Davis said.
