By Jovi Anderson Posted December 16, 2022
Ashley Ruiz has been chosen as Performer of the Issue by Mr. David Munk, the band and choir teacher. Ruiz is a senior now but has been in choir since the eighth grade; she has been singing her whole life.
Ruiz sings as an alto, which means she sings the lower notes in her choir. She has been singing for Lowry all four years of high school but has had many different teachers.
“Ashley’s hard work, enthusiasm and good nature contribute to a positive environment in class,” said Mr. Munk. “I knew Ashley at French Ford, but I really got to know her better last year in choir. Her positive outlook on life and the way she treats others with kindness and respect help others to be better.”
Instead of being in a typical choir, Ruiz is in audition choir. Very few people get in each year.
“The difference between that and regular choir is that I have to audition every year to be able to be in that choir, and for the other choir you just sign up and you get put in,” Ruiz said.
Ruiz sings to gain relief from stress.
“I do it because it’s a way to get out stress anytime I just have a lot of built-up emotion and I just need to be loud,” said Ruiz. “… let’s say I’m stressing over homework like this class is stressing me out, singing it out and just being really loud is a good way to let out the built-up stress and emotion.”
Ruiz is considering going to college for music, along with possibly going for a business degree.
“If I do go to college for a business class I could probably do choir in college,” said Ruiz.
Her family is very hard-working and along with Ruiz, her older brother is also musically inclined. She has two brothers, one younger and one older.
“My family is very hard-working,” Ruiz said. “We are all workaholics, we hardly see each other. Like we all live in the same house but we rarely have conversations with each other cause were all workaholics.”
Ruiz’s favorite thing about choir is that it not only relieves stress, but she also enjoys the way everyone’s voices blend together.
“Singing with them I think my favorite thing is just hearing how all of our vowels and voices are able to blend so well together,” Ruiz said. “It’s amazing how it’s just a couple of kids just being loud and singing, making our voices do all of these pitches and sound really nice.”
Her older brother makes music, and Ruiz has been in the background of a song he recorded.
“I was in one of his last recordings but I was just a little sound,” said Ruiz. “I made a little piston sound from my mouth to make sound effects.”
