While the Fall is a time for growth and acclimation for all groups at Flint Hill Upper School, it is vital for some of our school’s extracurricular arts groups, such as the Major Minors. The Major Minors dedicate a Fall weekend each year to going on “Tour,” visiting college-level a capella groups in various regions to work, hone, and reflect upon current and past repertoire in preparation for the year to come. This year, the Major Minors traveled to Durham, North Carolina, to work with one of the nation’s leading institutions in academics, athletics, and beyond: Duke University.
Leaving after school on Friday, October 24th, and traveling by bus across state lines, the Major Minors began their tour by getting to the hotel and rehearsing for a few hours before going to bed early and preparing for a long day of singing and fun on Saturday. The next day, the group woke up bright and early and set off to Duke University’s gothic campus to work with two a capella groups, “Rhythm & Blue” and “Something Borrowed, Something Blue.” Grabbing lunch and hitting the campus shop in between workshops, the group spent the day learning, bonding, and growing together, both musically and communally. Deya Ghaderi ‘26, one of the group’s altos, shared her workshop experience, saying “The Tour was so rewarding and we had such a great time together. We learned so much from the workshops, and we grew as a musical group because of them.” It is safe to say that Ghaderi speaks for the whole concerning the amount of growth the group went through over the first couple of workshops. The Major Minors closed the day out by going to the North Carolina State Fair, where the singers got to unwind, play fun carnival games, and win fun prizes such as stuffed animals and toys. The crew then went back to the hotel and hit the hay, getting ready for a final morning on Duke’s campus before heading back to Flint Hill.
The next morning, the Major Minors headed to do some group bonding at Bull City Escape Rooms before their last workshop with “Lady Blue,” an all-female a capella group at Duke, where they worked on tone, phrasing, and adding final touches to some of this year’s music. Afterwards, the group quickly grabbed lunch and hopped on the bus home, where many napped or caught up on work from the weekend. Bushra Alsinnawi ‘26 shared her perspective on the tour as a whole, saying “During our tour, I learned so much from the experienced college students on Duke’s campus. I also created a great bond with the rest of the Major Minors group.” It was certainly a rewarding and fun experience, just as Alsinnawi expressed!
Next year, the Major Minors look forward to keeping this tradition alive by visiting another region with stellar a capella groups to learn and work with. The Major Minors will showcase their talents this year at events such as their Winter Concert in January/February and Arts Jam later in the spring of 2026.
