Music can be more than just a hobby or entertainment. As Alina Kadic and Brooklyn Moore show us, through their love for popular songs from the media, music can be a bond that brings us closer together, establishes friendships, and creates opportunities.

Both Kadic and Moore, both freshmen, participate in many choir-related activities, including the selective ADM Singers choir, Amp Varsity Jazz choir, and Uncharted show choir. Both singers also sang at the Choir Solo and Ensemble Contest on April 18. Together, these two hold similar passions for music and decided to share their talents for the Compact Corner Concert. With the joy of singing, everybody develops different tastes. Just as one person who enjoys listening to music might prefer rock n’ roll to country, a singer may prefer to sing different genres of music as well.

“I usually sing musical songs because they have a lot of emotion in them,” Kadic said. “I like to sing choir songs to practice them, and it’s cool when you have the whole ensemble singing with you. And I also just like to sing pop songs because they are fun.”

Kadic’s affection for emotional and pop songs is apparent in her singing and performance for the Compact Corner Concert. Moore’s fondness for her music is also quite evident in her performance.

“I like to sing mostly pop songs. Some musicals, if I know them — mostly Disney, actually — and I really like jazz choir and show choir songs, because they’re just really fun,” Moore said. “I like having fun with music.”

These two are not only currently musically involved, but also grew up with music and singing as kids before deciding to participate in extracurricular activities in school.

“I started singing when I was two, or as soon as I could speak, because it’s always been fun hearing songs and then singing them. And then in middle school, I didn’t do choir, but then I started doing choir halfway through sixth grade because I realized that I was missing out,” Kadic said. “Ever since then, I’ve been really enjoying it.”

Just as Kadic found her joy in singing at a young age, so did Moore. They even had similar beginnings in the school choir.

“When I was a little kid, I thought I was going to be a pro singer, and I wanted to sing forever,” Moore said. “And then, I didn’t do choir in fifth grade and joined sixth grade because I felt left out, and then did it through middle school and high school.”

While their love of music began early, both girls have no intention of losing their desire to sing anytime soon, as they both plan to continue pursuing music at higher levels in the future.

“I’m going to continue to audition for All-State choir, as well as honor choirs. And then, I hopefully can become a college music professor when I grow up, or maybe a high school music teacher,” Kadic said.

Moore shares the same aspirations.

“I want to try out for all-state this year, and hopefully the next years, and then go to Wartburg, and then maybe major in music and education and then become a high school choir director,” Moore said.

Despite both Kadic’s and Moore’s overwhelming similarities in both beginnings and post-high school plans, they had not grown as close as they are until recently.

“Just this year, we started becoming friends,” Kadic said. “We knew each other last year, and we were kind of friends, but this year, because of choir, we’ve gotten so close.”

Kadic further explains why this year has catalyzed their friendship, compared to years past, despite being involved in the choir for about the same time.

“We have been in the same ensembles — like ADM Singers, jazz choir, show choir — and we’ve just become friends,” Kadic said. “We just bonded over things because it’s our passions, and we both went through some hard times and challenges in life throughout this year, and we helped each other out. And I think music has been a big moving point for us, because it’s motivated us to be happy and stuff like that.”

Both Moore and Kadic can speak to the power and effect that music has had on their lives. To them, music is more than just a hobby or a passion, but a way to create friends and bring people together, just like them.

SINGERS (IN ORDER OF APPEARANCE IN THE VIDEO):

• Brooklyn Moore
• Alina Kadic

SET LIST: 

• Tightrope – Michelle Williams
• For the First Time in Forever (Reprise) – Cast of Frozen
• All I Want – Olivia Rodrigo