As the Flint Hill 2023-2024 school year rounds the corner into October, the Major Minors are heading to a major milestone of their musical year: Fall tour! 

The Flint Hill Major Minors have been a cornerstone of the Fine Arts department here at Flint Hill. As the only audition-exclusive group at Flint Hill, the Major Minors are a handful of hardworking and dedicated singers who care about their craft and are willing to put in the time and effort to create art. Comprised of 22 Flint Hill students between their freshman and senior years, each musician brings meaningful value to the group’s social and artistic dynamic. 

The Flint Hill Major Minors are excited to be working on some pop-classics and fun ’90s repertoire that are sure to dazzle the community. 

These works will be on full display during the Fall Tour, taking place from October 6th through October 8th, when they travel to Pittsburgh to work with collegiate a cappella groups from the University of Pittsburgh, Carnegie Mellon, and Duquesne. By working with these groups, the Major Minors can hope to learn from more experienced vocalists and also use this weekend as an opportunity to get to know both new and returning members just a bit more. Through shared bus rides, meals, and workshops, the Major Minors will be closer than ever after this vocal growth experience! 

Upper School Choral Teacher and Director of Musical Productions Sarah Pramstaller, or as the members like to call her, “Ms. P,” shared a few words on the value of the tour for the Major Minors, saying “This trip has been a tradition since before I was the group’s director and is a powerful way to start the season.” Pramstaller also expressed her excitement to continue this Fine Arts tradition, saying “The primary goal of this venture is for our singers to work with collegiate a cappella groups from a variety of different schools in a given city.  It is an incredible learning opportunity for the group and a major highlight.” 

Not only is Pramstaller excited about this incredible experience, but many group members are as well. Junior Christina Atalla shared her excitement about the approaching trip: “I’m excited for the Major Minors tour because it’s an amazing opportunity for the group to improve as an ensemble. College groups are immensely helpful in working out the kinks in the group by giving us great advice on movement and dynamics.” Atalla also shared, “Last year, when we came back from tour we were much more confident in our abilities. Also, it is a great way for the group to bond!” Based on Atalla’s comments, it can be seen how important the tour is to the growth of the Major Minors. 

A final comment was made by Shanyar Ghaderi, a senior Major Minor’s member here at Flint Hill. “I’m so excited! I’ve been going on tour for years with the group but this year we are going to be doing more than we ever have. From acapella concerts, cabaret-style shows, and workshops, to festivals, this is for sure going to be an unforgettable year,” Ghaderi shared. 

After this epic experience for the group, we can undoubtedly expect a magnificent Winter Showcase and Arts Jam performance from this star-studded ensemble.