Name: Ashvita Suresh Kumar

Grade: 12th

Fine art: choir

Years of experience: 13 years

Wingspan: How long have you been in choir?

Kumar: “I’ve been doing Indian classical singing, so carnatic, since I was four-years-old, and I’ve been doing choir since 7th grade.”

Wingspan: Why did you decide to start singing? 

Kumar: “When I was younger, I just liked listening to songs and singing along, so I just thought it was really fun, [and] it brings me peace. These days when I’m working on college apps or just anything that stresses me out, music or just playing instruments really help me.”

Wingspan: What’s your favorite part about being in choir? 

Kumar: “My favorite part about being in choir is the community we have. I know people say that a lot and it’s cliche, but it’s really fun being in a group of people who love singing (and karaoke nights are really fun). One thing I love about singing in general is that it’s not just how you sing it but what you feel while you sing and the lyrics, and I think that’s very beautiful.”

Wingspan: Can you talk about the most challenging part?

Kumar: “One thing I do want to say about choir on the record is that a lot of people just think that it’s like ‘oh, you do choir, how hard could that be?’ But there’s a lot more to it. There’s so much diction that you have to look at, there’s sight-singing, and a lot of people don’t get a glimpse of that until they join the music theater class that Ms. U leads or something. But choir is more complicated than people think. It takes a lot of focus, concentration, and breath control [which] not a lot of people have, which is why it takes so much technical training to sing.”

Wingspan: Was there a specific song that you liked singing along to or an artist that inspired you? 

Kumar: “I really like singing any song that you can belt, because it’s really fun. It takes a lot of air and control and the second you hit that note, you just feel really good. A song I really like listening to is Famous Last Words. From our generation specifically, other than great singers like Beyonce—thank you Beyonce—one big inspiration is Ariana Grande, because she’s so well technically trained, especially when she duets with Kelly Clarkson and John Legend. It takes a lot of skill and breath control to do that and I really admire her for that.”

Wingspan: Is there any advice you would give to prospective choir students? 

Kumar: “[Some advice] I would give to prospective choir students is that when you first come in here, it can be a little intimidating, especially because we have a close-knit community within our class and you might feel like you won’t find your place, but just be social and talk to everyone—everyone is super sweet. And make sure you put in a lot of effort into your choir class because Ms. U is working really hard and the more effort you put in, the greater it sounds together.”