Brownsburg isn’t a stranger to students committed to their musical craft.
Bel Canto is the most advanced all-girls concert choir at Brownsburg. Here, students are taught how to cultivate an a cappella-style voice that is malleable and strong.
“Bel Canto means beautiful singing,” said choir director Melissa Stainbrook. “We have 58 treble voices that sing together every day, and it’s an advanced concert choir. The highest level of treble concert choir at the school.”
Bel Canto is open to anyone as long as they have been in a choir class. Auditions have been described as being very succinct and to the point, not as something to stress about.
“Auditions are simple. All you have to do is communicate to Mrs. Stainbrook about the groups you want to audition for, then you sing for her, and she places you where she thinks you would fit the best,” said Lillian Clark, one of the Bel Canto co-presidents.
In Bel Canto, it’s usually the group coming together to sing a song. But when there is a soloist, there is a certain criteria that a singer must meet.
“When looking for a soloist, I try to look for, again, the person that has the most accurate style and personality that would fit that particular song,” Stainbrook said.
As a co-president of Bel Canto, Clark is in charge of taking attendance, reminders, announcements and a slew of other responsibilities. The co-presidents help keep the choir organized and informed about upcoming events.
“Each year the presidents get to pick a theme for the group, and this year, Bridget and I picked a theme of Lilo and Stitch and adapted the quote ‘Ohana means family’ to ‘Bel Canto means family’,” Clark said.
Bel Canto is a very close-knit group of individuals, dedicated to preparing for their performances. Between the music and the memorization, a very supportive environment was able to flourish.
“We have inside jokes and we talk about our days just like a family would. Everyone is super close and there’s so much love between all of the girls,” said Reese Bingaman, the soprano one section leader of Bel Canto.
Even though they are responsible for their own success at the end of the day, their ability to manage themselves efficiently has become a vital asset in their overall group work ethic and has allowed them to win numerous state championships.
“Bel Canto has won the state championship, I want to say, seven times,” said Stainbrook. “But even the time when we won, sometimes just making beautiful music is what makes it all worth it.”
