By Ainsley Hall
MARTINSBURG — The 2024 American Classic Choir Festival took place this past weekend at Martinsburg High School, where more than 20 choirs from all over the area competed.
The festival had multiple categories throughout the competition, including a solo competition, where students could sing on their own.
Penny Tinsman is a parent of a student in the Good Times Show Choir at Martinsburg High School and leader of the volunteers who helped with the event. She organized the event and made sure it ran smoothly.
“Our goal is to have a great show,” Tinsman said Friday. “It’s an honor to have multiple choirs come participate. This year, we even have a school from the Richmond area, who brought four different choirs with them. We are so excited to have them and all the other students as they perform.”
During the competition, each choir performed and was judged by choir directors from Shepherd University, Shenandoah University and West Virginia University. The top five show choirs performed again as a part of the finals. This year, the judges provided immediate critiques for the students, so they could improve.
Friday was Music in Our School Day, which recognizes the importance of music and the students who participate in bands, choirs and other music groups in schools across the country. Tinsman shared that having the festival on that day made the event extra special.
“Today is Music in Our Schools Day, which makes today extra special,” Tinsman said on Friday. “It’s important to support the arts, especially in our schools, because it gives students an outlet and gives them the opportunity to share their amazing talents.”
Tinsman and many other parents are passionate about supporting these students perform and them having fun while they do it.
“My youngest daughter is now a senior in the Good Times Show Choir, and the parent involvement has been amazing,” Tinsman said. “Not just the parents, but families all get involved and help out. Being able to provide them with the opportunity to do what they love means the world to both us and the students. It’s truly an honor to do it.”
Tinsman shared that the Good Times Show Choir will be having its Next Gen Camp in April, where middle school students can learn more about show choir and decide if it’s a good fit for them. Anyone interested in the students’ performances during the American Classic Choir Festival can watch them through a livestream of the competition on YouTube.