They will be performing popular songs that most of us remember from the 1970s, but as teenagers on the edge of the millennium they consider these tunes “oldies.” A little depressing, isn’t it? On the upside, they are an elite group of talented young singers who are combining their zest for life and love of music to create one of the finest pop singing groups around.
CENTERSTAGE! is the Lake Highlands Freshman Center vocal performing group that was formed when the Freshman Center opened last fall. An offshoot of the regular choir group, CENTERSTAGE! is comprised of only 15 students – the best of the best.
“The auditions were open to anyone,” explains group member Emily Freshwater. “We had to perform one song in front of a panel of judges. A lot of people in choir auditioned, but only a few were chosen.”
The group is led by their new Choir Director, Lisa Cunningham. Lisa comes to the Lake Highlands Freshman Center with years of prior experience as both a school and church choir director. She is particularly impressed with this group’s dedication and hard work.
“We had the Friday before and Monday after Easter off as a school holiday,” Lisa points out, “but they were up here practicing both days.” The admiration is clearly mutual. “We absolutely love Lisa,” says Emily. “She is a lot of fun!”
The group regularly performs in the Lake Highlands area, and spends hours of extracurricular time rehearsing for the shows that include group singing, duets, solos, and even dancing. Their recent May performance included such classic tunes as “Free Ride,” “We’ve Only Just Begun,” and “The Locomotion.” The audience just closed their eyes, tapped their feet, and let their minds wander back to the days of disco balls and Jordache jeans.
The depressing news is that while they will be performing popular songs that we remember from the 1970ís, they consider these tunes ìoldies.î On the upside, they are an elite group of talented young singers who are combining their zest for life and love.
