After being selected for a prestigious, highly competitive select chorus ensemble, two West Morris Mendham Choir students, senior Maks Mandel and junior Samu Geller, performed with singers from across the state at the Jim Whelan Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City, NJ, as well as at the New Jersey Performing Arts Center in Newark, NJ. With a rigorous audition process, only 350 students were selected out of the thousands of singers who auditioned, demonstrating the strong musical talent possessed by these Mendham students. 

Both Maks and Samu have had a long history with music throughout their lives. They have been singing in Mendham’s choir since starting high school, and have also participated in after-school choir ensembles, such as Mendham Voices and Men In Black. Outside of school, Maks sings and plays the guitar with some friends in their band, Meat Machine, and Samu takes voice lessons. Together, these experiences have definitely helped them grow as musicians and performers.

Leading up to their performances, countless multi-hour rehearsals were held at Rutgers New Brunswick and in Atlantic City. During these rehearsals, many challenges arose, as Maks describes the struggles that came with memorizing all of the music, technical details, and stylistic choices, while Samu reflects on their longest rehearsal day, which was approximately eleven hours long with only a one-hour break. These challenges, however, paid off, and each singer succeeded in their performances as a group.

At NJPAC and the Jim Whelan Boardwalk Hall, the All-State Mixed Choir performed a wide range of pieces, from Medieval-era Gregorian chants to songs written by modern composers. An upbeat African song titled “Tchaka” was Maks’s favorite song to sing, as he loved the fun bass part, and Samu’s favorite was a Russian Orthodox piece titled “Salvation is Created”. Outside of the performances themselves, it was also those moments in between rehearsals that made the experience special. When in Atlantic City, the group was given time to explore the boardwalk, grab food, and bond overall. Although both students have had previous experience in other choirs outside of school, the All-State Mixed Choir specifically stands out to them.

Maks and Samu have participated in other regional select-choirs before New Jersey’s All-State Mixed Choir, with both students performing in the Morris Area Honor Choir, a less competitive group that only accepts applications from Morris County, and Maks has also performed in New Jersey’s Region Choir. Maks notes how these select choirs were “fun experiences, but had nowhere near the level of talent of the All-State Choir.” With regard to the school choir here at Mendham, Samu mentions that “the school choir has a much more relaxed, welcoming feel than All-State. Everyone in All-State is already a trained musician, so expectations are much higher. The school choir focuses a lot on involving newer singers, making it a great learning environment.” Similarly, the size of the All-State choir separates it from Mendham’s choir, as “the volume and combination of voices that All-State choir has…forms a truly unique sound,” as explained by Maks.

The support these two students have received over their musical careers has been nothing but encouraging and important to their development as musicians. Maks recognizes Mendham Choir alumnus Misi Geller and describes, “He showed me a new, fun aspect to music that I hadn’t seen too much of before. He also helped to bring me closer to the choir as a whole, making it now a community I love and have become a large part of.” Likewise, Samu acknowledges Mrs. Danner, the choir teacher here at Mendham, saying, “[Mrs. Danner] is the most supportive teacher I could ask for, without her I probably wouldn’t even know about All-State. She manages many ensembles here at the school and teaches classes other than choir, and she still managed to find time to come and chaperone for All-State, which was a huge help throughout.” These leaders have supported Maks and Samu and have guided them towards their success in representing Mendham High School at this select-choir experience.

After high school, both Maks and Samu plan to stay involved in music throughout the rest of their lives. Whether it be declaring music as a potential minor in college, joining community choral and a cappella ensembles, or simply singing on the side, these students will continue to pursue music and make Mendham proud. Congratulations to Maks and Samu, and we wish them the best in their future musical endeavors!