Farmer Focus: Senior Elsie Quistian

‘I want to help people find love for music and help improve their voice.’

I+hope+my+future+will+consist+of+music+and+teaching.+I+want+to+be+a+vocal+coach+for+either+school+or+at-home+lessons.

Tori Tacker

“I hope my future will consist of music and teaching. I want to be a vocal coach for either school or at-home lessons.”

SNAPSHOTS

Favorite hobby: Singing

Birthday: Jan. 13

Favorite show: “Cobra Kai

Fruits or vegetables: Fruits 

Dream place to visit: Germany 

ZOOMING IN

Q: What extracurricular activities are you in and why did you choose them?

A: “The only extracurricular I am in is choir. I chose choir because my favorite thing to do is sing. I usually just like doing it every year when I’m given the chance to.”

Q: How long have you been in choir and what inspired you to stay in the program?

A: “I have been in choir for seven years. My music teacher in elementary school chose me, out of 30 students, to be in the junior honor choir. She knew I had a strong voice. I chose to do it through high school because I wanted to see my voice progress.”

Q: What are the responsibilities of being president in choir?

A: “I feel like I have to have a lot of dates saved in my head, make sure everyone feels comfortable and welcomed so no one feels left out. I make sure to sing loud so everyone knows there’s a comfortable voice to sing with as well. I also help keep my choir director on track with everything.”

Q: What advice would you give to someone wanting to be in choir?

A: “Try not to be shy because choir is something you have to be confident in. We sing in unison so you have to be aware of what is going on. At the end of the day, just have fun with it because you will always look forward to the accomplishments you made after you’re done.”

Q: What is it like being in choir and what is your favorite part?

A: “It’s my stress relief class. It allows me to have me time at school instead of worrying about grades.”

Q: How has music influenced your life? What genre of music has helped you during tough times?

A: I use music to take control of what I do so I’m not focusing on the bad things and I’m focusing on the good things I like to do which is singing. The music genre that has helped me the most through my life is R&B. That genre of music is very relaxing and it lets you listen to the words and understand the meaning of the song. You also get a better connection to the song depending on what it’s about.”

Q: What is your favorite language you have sung in choir and why?

A: My favorite language I have sung is Spanish because that’s my native language and it lets me reminisce back to when I was younger. I had a better grasp of it because of the language.”

Q: What is the most stressful time of year in choir and why?

A: The most stressful time is UIL because you’re balancing good grades and a lot of practice when it comes to music. You are needing good accuracy with the music and [and you have to] be ready to learn a new song in a short amount of time. You also need to be ready to learn new skills for sight-reading.

Q: Would you want to pursue choir in the future? Why or why not? If not, what would you want to pursue in the future?

A: Yes I would, if I find a choir group outside of school then yes. I hope my future will consist of music and teaching. I want to be a vocal coach for either school or at-home lessons. I want to take a career that makes me happy and that I’ll put in the work to do it. I want to help people find love for music and help improve their voice.”

Q: What is your favorite high school memory and why?

A: “My favorite high school memory is becoming president for choir because it felt good that I fit the job and that the choir felt like I would be [a] good [president]. It was nice to have that responsibility and [how] the choir director saw potential in me.”