Posted on the outer Choir room door, and stuck with a single piece of scotch tape was the Show Choir’s roster. Twenty names on single sheet of printer paper. The list had been a cause for anxiety since auditions a week before. And as sophomore Emily Carroll’s dark brown eyes scanned down, she found her name. Just a year ago Emily wouldn’t even have had been able to audition, but things have changed.

Show Choir has added a live band and eight new members on top of their original 12. The biggest change is for the underclassmen in choir who now have a chance to join .

“It gives the kids a chance to show off their skills,” Carroll said.

This year has also added pressure on the Show Choir leadership.

“I have a lot more responsibilities now, ” Choir President Katy Steimel said.

These responsibilities include sending texts as reminders to the show choir members of rehearsals, organizing student events, handing out goodies to the students on their birthdays, and planning the annual Choir banquet.

The changes in format have also allowed band students to be part of choir this year in a live band which will accompany the show choir in competition. The band students auditioned for the Show Choir director Jason Mayfield, and after their first rehearsal, the band is already “awesome” according to Mayfield.

Mayfield says that he added more vocalists and the band for “extra volume.” Because “that’s what every other school does, and we were behind on that.” Having a live band is now mandatory for competition this February .

Show Choir won’t be performance ready until January, but they hope to place in the top three in their competition and to make finals. The group rehearses on Mondays from 5:45 to 8:00, and then the group splits, Girls practicing at 7 a.m. on Wednesdays, and Boys practicing at 7 a.m. on Thursdays. What makes all the hard work worth it is “the people in it,” Steimel said. “And the fact that we’re going to be really good.”