It’s a dark, cold Tuesday morning. Hundreds of students stumble off the packed busses and walk into school, ID cards in hand. Ms. Leal calls out to about half of them, though they carry on in their morning daze. But the morning’s already started in the music department, and all you have to do is listen for the singing and laughing to know that most of it’s coming from the chorus room. Then the extremely early 7:17am bell goes off, and all that’s left is forty girls ready to start their first period class.

That first period class is Treble Choir. You may be asking yourself what in the world Treble Choir is. It’s an all-girls choir, and it happens to be the smallest choir Patchogue-Medford High School has. These forty girls represent all high school grade levels and were selected to participate having demonstrated discipline, focus, and most importantly, a passion for music.

This class is taught by Ms. Champion, who is also the chorus teacher at Oregon Middle School. This year marks her twentieth year working in the district. When asked about her favorite part of teaching Treble Choir, she said, “My favorite part is being able to empower young women everyday. I also love being able to work at the level of musicianship again. I love being a choir director.” Ms. Champion—or as her students call her, “Champ”—provides these girls with inspiration and shares her knowledge of music with them each day. To them, she is more than a teacher; she’s a friend. Beyond school concerts, the girls hope to spread the word of Treble Choir by participating in a number of outside events. For example, on November 10, 2018, the girls will be performing for the Medford VFW’s Veterans Day ceremony at the Medford Fire Department at 11:00 am. By participating in these events, the singers separate themselves from the other choirs and allow the community to hear their talents. Even so, the girls will be performing at the first high school concert on December 13.

To the girls, first period is not 45 minutes they are required to endure with fellow pupils. It’s time spent with girls they choose to call their family. Annie Rodriguez, a senior, said, “My favorite part about Treble [Choir] is not only singing with my friends, but also, considering the group is barely two months old, it’s amazing becoming closer with all these ladies as each day goes on.”

Annie is not the only one who feels this way. A sample of girls from this class, including Crystal Zaharatos (’22), Sofia Mangogna (’20), Juliana Osheske (’22), and Ally Thomson (’22) all agree. The girls in this class have made countless new friends that they believe will last a lifetime. They even have a group chat on Snapchat where they discuss their days, ask for advice, or just go to have a laugh.

The girls hope to stand up for women and to give a voice to those who have yet to find theirs. They choose songs that not only showcase their skill but also have a deep meaning and a message about being a girl living in today’s world. The choir wants to use the amazing opportunity provided by Champ to shed light on what some girls may be feeling, even if those girls have no way to express themselves. Each and every Treble Choir member stands up for each other and constantly reminds each other they always have a friend. They want everyone outside of the music department to know who they are and to hear them stand up for what they believe in through what they love: music.