On Tuesday, Jan. 30, Cleveland Choir students had the chance to come together with students who share the same love for music as they do.

All City Choir was an opportunity for PPS choir students to sing as one and learn from new voices. Out of the 70 to 80 students involved in the event, 12 Cleveland students ranging from sophomores to seniors came to represent their school. Students learned new pieces of music to be performed by family and friends. A seven-hour rehearsal on the Monday, Jan. 29, followed by a short rehearsal after school on the 30th led up to the performance that Tuesday night.

Guest conductor Steven Zielke, director of Choral Studies at Oregon State University, was an amazing way for the choir students to further their skills at a more advanced level, and students saw the benefits of learning from a variety of directors, and working alongside new people.

“Each choir director has a different style and you hear a different sound,” Junior William Marsh said. “You get more experience working with different people.” He also described how working collectively with other choir groups allowed him and others to learn about the other groups and how they compare to Cleveland’s choir.

Despite having a condensed time period to prepare for their show, students enjoyed the cooperative time they had with each other.

“Choir is generally a competition,” senior Olivia Osborne explained. “I think it was really beneficial to get together with the other choirs and just enjoy music and singing together.”

This year, only being the second annual All City Choir event, students look forward to continuing the event for years to come. It is a unique opportunity for the choir community to share their love of music and learn from one another.