By Siena Small
For South freshman Ethan Koss-Smith and junior Gabryela Sinclair, music has been a definitive element of their lives, especially when, this past summer, they used it to travel abroad.
Koss-Smith, a freshman described as focused, friendly and reliable by friends and teachers alike, has been singing since sixth grade.
Singing has given him a “deeper connection to something” he could “always rely on and allowed [him] an escape from everything negative going on,” Koss-Smith said.
It was one of his first directors that told him he should consider pursuing music on his own, a suggestion that shaped his life.
“[Singing is a] form of expression that requires more than just focus but an emotional connection,” Koss-Smith said.
He is in the Trinity Church Choir, the choir with which, over the summer, he traveled to London, visiting different historic buildings and performing within them.
The experience was a unique one for the group, for it gave them a chance to further bond with each other but in a new setting. .
This trip also gave Koss-Smith a broader insight on the history of the music his group was singing, such as why it was written and what it was like at the time it was composed.
According to Harry Brewster, another member of the Trinity choir, Koss-Smith combines the talent he already possessed on coming into the program with the unpretentiousness he maintains as he continues to learn from his teachers and fellow choir members.
“[Koss-Smith] is an amazing singer and a good actor, while staying humble,” Brewster said.
Jeff Knoedler, who teaches Koss-Smith in his Intro to Acting class, described him similarly.
“Some students have strong voices, strong acting skills, or strong work ethics, but it’s rare to have all three on top of humility, curiosity, and focus,” Knoedler said.
The amount of talent at South, though, ensures that Koss-Smith is not the only one in the school who celebrated music this summer. Sinclair is another example; this summer she went to Southeast Asia along with her chorus group, the Boston Children’s Chorus, or BCC. Sinclair is also involved in Newton South’s junior and senior chorus, Madrigals.
Mainly described as knowledgeable, curious and extremely talented when it comes to singing, Sinclair has accumulated much experience in music.
“I enjoy learning not only about vocal technique and new ways I can manipulate my own voice, but also the way that the voice, unlike any other instrument, can provoke such intense emotional reactions in singers and listeners alike,” Sinclair said.
Over the summer, Sinclair traveled with the BCC to Vietnam and Cambodia, visiting several different cities and giving performances at multiple places, including the Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City opera houses and the Phnom Penh intercontinental hotel.
On top of this, the group taught English and performed at a school in Kauk Rovieng, a tiny village in Cambodia; the choir also sang at children’s organizations and orphanages all throughout the trip.
Although the experience was quite incredible for Sinclair, she also described it as being saddening.
“We spent a lot of our visit focused on the Vietnam War and the Khmer Rouge, seeing it from another perspective, and now I can’t help but hate my own history textbook for how inaccurately they portray all of the horror that happened there,” Sinclair said.
According to Sinclair, the trip brought the group closer together, although she added that it was quite frustrating that the tour was at the end of the year, meaning the seniors had to leave right after they all had come to know each other so well.
On her return, Sinclair dove back into the world of music in Newton.
Antony Arango, a member of BCC, said he has learned to watch himself around her, saying she always knows what she is doing and is constantly “one step-ahead of the game.”
Chorus teacher Benjamin Youngman spoke of her highly, stating that she is a “utility singer,” being an excellent sight-reader with a large range, who should be extremely proud of all she has accomplished over the years.
“She has grown a lot more comfortable with her voice and leadership skills,” Youngman said.
