Can I just say that choir tour was beyond incredible? It was hard—some days I was so exhausted that I could barely function. That’s how everyone was at some point on tour. However, it was absolutely worth it. We met so many people. We played with kids at the high schools, we sang for them, and we definitely got them excited about Institute. We played with one another, too. From our Academy Awards night for tour videos to our family night when the parents came to our trip to Salt Lake, we had fun together. We really are like a family, and we definitely put the fun in dysfunctional. It’s the best ever!
Something else we did: we sang for each other. One of the most incredible moments we had on tour was on Thursday afternoon. Technically it was the last time all of us would sing together for an audience. It was a just small group of students and teachers who were in the building after school for a class, some of our leaders and faculty from the Institute, and the choir members. As we sang, the whole room was just full of love and friendship. We were singing for each other. It was amazing. All of us were crying (or almost all of us). I was doing okay until I looked at the third years, the ones who have “graduated” from LDC. I realized that this was the last time we’d sing together, and I totally lost whatever composure I had managed to hang onto.
I love the people in LDC. They are my best friends. They’re my adopted brothers and sisters. Each one of them has an amazing story, and sets an amazing example for everyone that they meet. This has been one of the best (and hardest) years of my life, and it’s because of all of the wonderful people I’ve met through the choir. This summer has already been the longest I’ve ever had…and it hasn’t even been two weeks since choir ended! Thank goodness for our inability to stay away from each other—we keep having parties and planning things for the future. And thank goodness for the CD that we recorded!
I know that it isn’t really over. We’ll always be friends. What’s hard is that we won’t sing together anymore. I get to go back to the choir next year; I still have two years left. But my friends who are all finished and moving on with their lives? It’ll be weird not seeing them every single day and more. There are also a lot of first and second years that aren’t coming back; they’re moving on with their lives. Some are engaged, like Kenna and David, Daniel, and Lindsey. Some are just focusing more on school, like Erin. Others are taking a break, like Emilyann. I wonder what it will be like next year, with so many new faces and stories.
