EMILY'S POV
When Mr. Palmer says those last words I felt myself get slightly nervous. So I swallow and take a deep breath, I. can. do. this! I turn towards Bailey and I was about to start a conversation when Principal Skyper starts talking.
I turn towards him and listen as he begins talking about the Halloween Festival and Annual Dance. We have the Dance every year so I know what to expect (also Mady helps set it up and work it so I know all the crazy details), it is the same night every year, same type of decorations, and same spot, it just have different names each year. It is actually pretty fun and I always go with friends. I still listen to Principal Skyper as he says the dance is going to be Friday October 25th from 6:30 to 9:00 PM. He says the name is the Scary Affections Dance which is a a bit of a weirder name than usual so I'm guessing the school must be running out of name ideas. All the other information he gives is the same, rules, expectations, *fun tips*, and bla bla bla. He basically is saying have fun, don't do drugs, don't smoke, don't drink alcohol, don't have sex, and don't break anything, other than that he doesn't care he just has to say these things because it's his job.
Next he starts talking about the Halloween Festival. This is a new thing that the school originally came up with to give students extra curricular activities and service learning activities to do, the school decided to do it when they learned they could also benefit profitability. Principal Skyper says that each after or before school club and activity can have a booth in the Festival if they choose to, also other students wanting to be apart of it can give the Student Government their proposal on a booth or activity. Anyone can do it as long as it benefits the school, a group, an activity, an association, or the public, also it needs to be chosen and has to be school appropriate.
It will be four days long, from Monday, October 28th to Thursday October 31st (Halloween). Some days students will have the chance to go or work it during school time and it will be open and welcome to students directly after school until 6 PM. Then on the last day, Halloween there will be a scary cornfield, little kid trick or treating ride, and a haunted tour that is partly in the school building, partley in the scary cornfield, and partly walking through the woods and ending on the beach. He says more information will be handed out on flyers and will be sent in emails to all students. Then Principal Skyper gives examples of booths and activities and mentions our group, advanced choir, this is our cue to get the first song ready.
Mr. Palmer has the choir stand up and he goes over to where Principal Skyper is standing. He gives an introduction saying that we have prepared several spooky Halloween themed songs and will be performing at the Festival. He says that today we be performing two of those songs. He then says, and I quote, "Also, consider it a special treat, we have three soloists that have solos for one of the songs." This is all he says then he sits down at the piano and plays the beginning of Thriller.
He looks up at us and after a few seconds he motions for us to start, he plays the piano and we start singing. Thriller is a fun song and I focus on the lyrics and notes, we watch Mr. Palmer to get our beat and rhythm, he also decides when we start and stop. At the end of the song he has us hold it out for a really long time so we need to do staggered breathing. Since most of the choir has been together since Middle School, we have a staggered breathing system. Natalia, Kylie, Kristen, Bailey, and I are the strongest Altos so the first to cut off is Kylie, then Kristen, then Bailey, then Natalia, then me. I can hold it out the longest so I make sure everyone else has caught their breath and can sing before I breathe, the trick is to do it in a way the audience doesn't hear a drop in volume so you don't want the whole choir stopping at the same time. By the time Mr. Palmer has us officially stop singing we probably held out the last note for about 4 or 5 measures, which is a lot. After the audience was done clapping I brace myself, because now is the song which I have a solo in.