Beaconed by monotone voices, student’s footsteps fall silently inside the practice room. After clearing her throat, freshman Lizzie Strehle begins to sing. Her voice rings loud and fills the room. A cappella auditions have begun.

For most, this scene would be rather frightening, but for Strehle, singing has been a big part of her life since kindergarten.

“My mom signed me up for singing because I needed something to do,” Strehle said. “And since then, I have really enjoyed it.”

Strehle has continued to sing because of the positive effect it has had on her life.

“Singing allows me to take a break from stress and it’s fun to do, either alone or with others,” Strehle said.

Taking classes, such as chorus and select chorus at the middle school and chorus at the high school, has given Strehle the skills and techniques to become an experienced singer.

Strehle has learned many singing techniques such as sight reading, singing intervals, blending and raising the soft palate here at WHS.

Outside of school, she has enjoyed singing with her camp friends over the summer. Some of her fondest singing memories come from her experiences singing with them.

“My best singing [memory] was at my camp where I sang while my friend played a song on the guitar in front of the camp,” Strehle said. “I really liked it because everybody was being supportive of me and my friend, so it gave me a lot of confidence.”

Although stage fright and nerves come hand in hand, Strehle has learned how to overcome these emotions and perform as if no one is watching. Looking back, some of her favorite performances are the ones she describes being most nerve-wracking.

“My favorite performance was last year in middle school, where I sang a duet for the MLK presentation with my friend Abby,” Strehle said. “It was a big step for me because it was the biggest audience I had ever performed in front of.”

Learning how to improve her singing has paid off, as shown by Strehle’s recent acceptance to the WHS a cappella group, the Muses.

“The auditions were a little nerve-wracking because I’d heard [the group] is pretty hard to get into,” Strehle said. “But in the group, everyone is so welcoming and I forget that I’m in a different grade than them,”

Although the auditions were stressful and scary, her confidence grew before going to the callbacks.

“When I sing more I become less nervous,” Strehle said. “And for the callbacks, I practiced a lot more in the practice rooms before I went in, as well as in front of the other people who were auditioning, so when I went in I was a lot more confident.”

Her nerves were short-lived because in the days following the audition she had gotten the email she had always wanted. Strehle had been chosen to be a member of the Muses. Strehle looks forward to spending time with the girls and already feels like a part of this special group.

“I was so excited when I got the email,” Strehle said. “I literally couldn’t fall asleep that night because it was so exciting.”