Ambassadors and Accents are getting ready to begin their competition season on a high note at a performance in Fairfield, OH, on March 2.

Kristin Barnes, member of Ambassadors and sophomore, said the choirs are preparing with intense practice.

“We’ve been rehearsing in class and after school every week to learn five songs of really different genres,” she said. “We’ve also been choreographing and cleaning up that choreography to near-perfection so we’ll be prepared to compete in our four invitationals.”

Choral director Lamonte Kuskye said for him, planning for competition season began a while ago, but choir members have only just now started to work on the show after a busy autumn.

“We’re cramming (for competition), which is normal,” he said.

Despite this, both Barnes and Kuskye said they have high expectations for the upcoming season.

“We had a little less time to prepare than they’ve had in past years, but regardless, I expect that if we keep learning at the pace we are now and keep working like we have been, we’ll be really successful come competition time,” Barnes said.

Kuskye said while constructive comments from judges are important, the most valuable aspect of competition is the process choir members undergo to reach it.

“Who cares about the trophy? That’s never been our thing,” he said. “It’s the January and February, the rehearsal process and what we learn from being together that’s the most important element of this.”

Kuskye said one challenge he faces is the stress that comes with competing.

“I’m a nervous wreck for the performance, and I could live without that in my life,” Kuskye said.

However stressful competition may be, he said the process of preparing to perform is a benefit that outweighs the more challenging aspects.

“(The rewards are) being with the kids, watching them grow, watching them dig deep, watching them push themselves, allowing me to push them harder and what they achieve. It’s just the growth of the show, when they believe in what they’re doing,” Kuskye said. “There’s just a moment when it becomes not performing but really just sharing their souls on the stage, and that’s the moment I always hope we can get to because that’s something that seems to be unique to competition.”

Barnes said while managing her time and keeping up with homework and other extracurricular activities is difficult as a result of choir, her love of performing makes the drawbacks of competition season worth it.

“For most of us, this is what we love doing, our passion,” Barnes said. “In the end, just getting to do what we love all the time is a reward enough.”