Canyon Ridge High School’s Synergy show choir membership reached an all-time high, with 24 members at the beginning of the 2024-2025 school year.
The Synergy team held emergency tryouts on April 30th and August 22nd due to a mixture of members moving, graduating, or leaving in general. Synergy coach and choir teacher Ms. Amanda Hall explained, “I think it’s always good to bring in new blood, friendships, attitudes, and so I’m always happy to bring in new people.”
Half of the members had either graduated or left Synergy after the 23-24 school year, leaving the membership at eleven people. As of September 2024, however, the Synergy membership had reached a new peak membership of 24 people.
Synergy dance captain Jacob Nielson, when asked about the new members, said, “We decided to increase the size of the group both so that it could be a bigger community and so that we could accommodate all of the good, new talent.”
Whether or not the newer members will struggle to keep up with the small number of veteran members is yet to be seen.
Sophomore McKay Urry was chosen as the newest member of Synergy through the emergency tryouts.
“When I was seven, we went to a Synergy dance on an elementary school trip, and I really liked it. And then my older brother Collin was in Synergy, and he always told me I should join. So it’s been a dream of mine ever since I was young,” Urry explained.
When asked about how he felt earning a spot in Synergy, Urry said, “For tryouts, they sent out a song and dance to learn about three weeks in advance. I auditioned, and it was really nerve-racking having to learn all these new dances and songs, but I really enjoyed it. I was super excited when I got in. I jumped out of my chair and was yelling, and my mom cried. She was acting like I had just gotten into Harvard or something. [Family friends] then came over with sparklers and had a little party which was super exciting.”
Since Urry is the newest member, he is a primary focus of the new season of Synergy. When asked about the subject, he responded by saying, “We have the dance captain Jacob Nielson here helping out the new members since he’s the oldest member of Synergy and definitely the best dancer.”
Nielson added his input on the subject by explaining, “I get to work with people that I’ve worked with for years, but I also get to work with these new people. As the veteran member and as the dance captain, I get to go in and learn all of the [dances] early so that I’m able to teach it to these new members who may not be able to pick up on stuff as quickly.”
There is hard work going into this year’s Synergy shows–especially for the new members since they have to learn choreography.
“I would say that these are positive changes because there is more space for people to get in. I think that there is more of an opportunity to get into the group. I think it’s a fun thing that the group is always changing because I feel like I make a lot of good friends… It kind of makes a big alumni family,” Nielson expressed.
Ms. Hall, when asked about how she feels about the high number of members responded by saying, “We have some really good singers and dancers, and so I think that the shows this year will turn out great.”
