Chamber Choir retreats to Hartland Camp for an unforgettable bonding experience

By Donya Hassanshahi

From the 11-13 of November, Chamber Choir students recently retreated to a small camp in Hartland, California for their annual bonding trip.

Chamber Choir is a small choir group at Redwood High School, directed by choir teacher Mr. Mel Carrillo. This year, there are twenty eight student members in total. Compared to Ranger Choir, which has approximately eighty to ninety members each year. To be involved with Chamber Choir, you must audition.

In thought of the Chamber retreat, Chamber Choir students were thrilled by the idea. Before leaving, students Kyndall Correia, ’24, Elias Perez, ’22, and Tessa Hemphill, ’22 expressed their anticipation for the bonding experience.

As a sophomore, Kyndall Correia had high hopes going into the event, “I feel like it’s going to be super fun and I feel like as a choir, we will be able to connect better, too.” This is her first year in Chamber Choir, but she has been involved with the choir program since her freshman year.

In anticipation for the trip, Correia was looking forward to the cabins, along with paintball. This opportunity, as a whole is something she is, “super thankful” for because she and her choir group will be able to interact and build a stronger relationship together.

Another member, Elias Perez, ’22 has been involved with Redwood’s choir program for four years. Though this wasn’t his first time experiencing this retreat, last year the group was unable to go due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Going into the Chamber Choir retreat, Perez was looking forward to playing gaga ball, along with having the chance to, “bond more with the Chamber family,” he says.

With the irregularity of last year, this year opened new feelings and perspectives on the trip. Perez states, “I’m feeling a little nervous, very excited, and grateful to be doing the trip this year.”

As a pre-trip thought, Perez shared a fond memory of a previous year; a sock caught fire when left on a radiator by a student. “I hope we don’t burn down a cabin again,” he jokes.

Similar to Perez, choir president Tessa Hemphill, ’22 has been a member of Redwood choir for all four years of her high school career, though has been in Chamber since her sophomore year.

In relation to being the choir president for the 2021-2022 school year, Hemphill is also a part of the officer team. When performing, she is an alto.

Hemphill was excited to grow closer as a group, whilst working hard on their music they, the Chamber Choir group, has been preparing. She expresses, “It is always so fun to uphold traditions and really become a unified group over this weekend.”

This being Hemphill’s senior year at Redwood High School, during this Chamber retreat weekend, she was looking forward to showing the lower-classes what it means to be a member of Chamber.

“Overall, I am just so ecstatic to share this experience with my classmates; we truly are a family and this retreat always makes our bond and our music better.”

Tessa Hemphill, ’22 on pre-trip thoughts on the Chamber Choir retreat

After their retreat, Correia, Perez, and Hemphill shared their post-trip thoughts and experiences.

Correia was amazed by the activities- paintball, zip-lining, volleyball, and basketball- and outcome of the retreat, especially with this being her first time participating in this memorable experience.

Before leaving, she thought that the entirety of the trip would consist of singing, not so much connecting with the other members, but it was quite the opposite; she had an incredible time.

From the trip, the most memorable part was when, “We all got in a circle and talked about what music meant to us. It was very emotional and I will always remember that,” Correia says.

Connecting with her choir peers in an emotionally complexing fashion was an amazing experience overall.

On the other hand, Perez has been able to attend the Chamber Choir retreat pre-COVID, so even though last year the opportunity was taken from students involved, this year he was able to make new memories through it, “I expected the choir would grow closer together and that’s what happened.”

For him, the most memorable part of the retreat consisted of hiking up to the cross in Hartland.

Along with this, such actives he participated in implicated singing music, gaga ball, zip-lining, and “eating good food.” To Perez, being surrounded by the naturalistic setting was relaxing.

“The experience was all I hoped it would be and more,” emphasizes Hemphill. At this point of the school year, she thought this was exactly what Chamber Choir, and the students behind the singers, needed.

In one word, she described the time spent together as “unifying.” Even though the group shares a friendship with one another, Hemphill expresses how this weekend was a chance for everyone to get to know each other on a deeper level.

Since Hemphill has been a three-year member of Chamber Choir, and this event was last hosted two years ago, only six people were present from the last time the trip took place.

After this weekend, Hemphill feels that their group was amplified in terms of relationship and musical strength, “I think we have a higher standard for our music and now we’re working towards becoming the best we can be.”

In review, Hemphill expresses, “it was a fantastic experience and I was so truly grateful to experience this with all my friends and our amazing teachers. I believe everyone else would say the same. It’s always one of the biggest highlights of the school year for me.”

Tags: arts and entertainment, choir, rangers, redwood gigantea, redwood high school, redwood rangers