Putting High School Choir in the Spotlight
Eight Traverse City choir kids who shine
Each year, the Verdi Opera Theatre of Michigan hosts a classical vocal competition for high schoolers from throughout the state of Michigan. This past spring, six of the 10 finalists hailed from either Traverse City Central High School or Traverse City West Senior High.
It’s just one data point that indicates the depth of vocal music talent on offer at northern Michigan’s two biggest high schools. For this year’s local music issue, Northern Express sits down with eight singers to watch from Central and West.
1. Charlotte Furlong
School: Traverse City Central
Graduation year: 2028
Origin story: Ever since she started singing as a toddler, Furlong has been enraptured by the magic she feels while performing. In addition to choral music, she’s tried out musical theater, plays, piano, dance, “and any sort of performance I could.”
Claim to fame: As a freshman, Furlong earned a Sutton Foster Award nomination for her role as Jojo in Central High School’s November 2024 production of the musical Seussical. Presented by the Wharton Center Institute for Arts & Creativity at Michigan State University, that award recognizes “excellence in individual artistry, vocal, dance, and acting performance,” and feeds into the National Musical Theatre Awards, better known as the “Jimmy’s.”
This coming school year: This fall, Furlong will be back on the stage at Central, playing the role of the Mad Hatter in the school’s fall production of the musical Wonderland. She’s also a member of Central’s Choral-Aires, the school’s most advanced vocal ensemble.
Long-range plans: “After high school, I plan to go to college for musical theater and business, whether as a double major, a minor, or staggering my degrees,” Furlong says. “I want to continue singing and performing for as long as I possibly can, and will continue to pursue it wherever that takes me after graduation.”
On the playlist: “As a musical theater performer, I spend a lot of time listening to cast recordings, whether for fun or to study new material,” Furlong shares. Outside of the musical theater galaxy, though, her favorite artist is contemporary folk superstar Noah Kahan, who she says she’s been listening to with her dad “for years.”
2. Jed Laurent
School: West Senior High
Graduation year: 2028
Origin story: For Laurent, the story starts all the way back in kindergarten at Westwoods Elementary. “I remember walking into school with my dad, singing in the halls,” he says. “A teacher came out of her classroom and said to me, ‘You have a beautiful singing voice.’” The compliment, plus a passion for “going to see musicals whenever I could,” eventually led Laurent to the youth summer program at the Old Town Playhouse, and the rest was history.
Claim to fame: While Laurent admits he’s had some stage fright about singing solo in front of crowds, he had a big breakthrough this past winter in West’s production of Little Shop of Horrors. “Performing in front of a live crowd for seven consecutive nights was a massive milestone for me, and really reflected how far my confidence had come.”
This coming school year: In addition to singing with Choral-Aires, Laurent will step into the role of co-secretary on West’s executive choir board.
Long-range plans: “Singing is honestly one of the main things that brings me happiness,” Laurent says. “Even though I’m still not 100 percent sure what the future holds for my singing career, I’m definitely leaning toward minoring in music in college.”
On the playlist: Like Furlong, Laurent listens to musical soundtracks regularly, with his top three being The Greatest Showman, Pitch Perfect, and Mamma Mia!
3. Clayton Loomis
School: Central High School
Graduation year: 2027
Origin story: Loomis started singing in church when he was young, following in the footsteps of his mom and his grandparents. “It was inspiring to sing with multiple generations of my family who all share a love for music,” he says.
Claim to fame: You may have seen Loomis last fall in Central’s production of the musical Urinetown, in which he played the psychopathic Hot Blades Harry. He’s also heading into his third year as part of Choral-Aires.
This coming school year: Loomis will be co-president this year of Central’s choir council, sharing the position with fellow student Lucy Leppien. He’ll also play the role of El Gato in Wonderland, the musical’s take on the Cheshire Cat.
Long-range plans: Though he’s still considering his options for college at the moment, Loomis says his goal is “to continue with music, especially musical theater, after graduation.”
On the playlist: “Honestly, my playlist is full of musical theater that I sing along to in the car,” Loomis laughs. Otherwise, his favorite artist is Icelandic singer-songwriter Laufey, whose music he describes as a hybrid between pop and classical.
4. Maxwell Morrow
School: West Senior High
Graduation year: 2028
Origin story: Morrow joined choir in fifth grade and fell in love with it. “That was when I realized that music and singing was something that I’d like to get better at and spend lots of time doing,” he says.
Claim to fame: “My proudest accomplishment so far was in eighth grade, when I was one of two recipients of the West Middle School choir program’s Outstanding Contributions Award,” Morrow says.
This coming school year: As West welcomes its new choral director, TCAPS boomerang Duncan Cooper, Morrow says he is most looking forward to the learning opportunities that such a big change will present. “I'm excited to get to grow as a singer, because not only will I get to work with someone who will teach choir a different way, but I always love challenges.”
Long-range plans: While he’s eyeing theoretical physics as his eventual college major, Morrow pledges that “music will not be out of the picture” and that he plans to perform in a school choir or choral club.
On the playlist: Morrow points to pop star/actress Sabrina Carpenter as a major “motivator” and role model. “I love performing, and her art is very performance-based, which is something I enjoy and look up to,” he says.
5. Lauren Nichols
School: Central High School
Graduation year: 2028
Origin story: Though she doesn’t come from a musical family, Nichols says she’s always been interested in singing, particularly after seeing her first-ever live musical at the Old Town Playhouse years ago. “I've just always believed that music and song is such a meaningful way to connect with other people,” she says.
Claim to fame: Each spring, the Michigan State Vocal Music Association (MSVMA) selects 20 or so singers from around the state to perform at its annual all-state festival. This year, Nichols made the cut, as a sophomore. She was also one of the aforementioned six Traverse City singers to reach the finals of this year’s Verdi Opera Theatre vocal competition.
This coming school year: Catch Nichols this fall in the lead role of Alice in Central’s production of Wonderland. She’ll also be singing with Central’s Chorale and Choral-Aires this year, and pursuing competitive opportunities like Verdi, the Schmidt Vocal Arts contest, and the YoungArts awards.
Long-range plans: Though she’ll only be a junior this fall, Nichols is already eyeing bachelor’s and master’s degrees in vocal performance. And after spending part of the summer at University of Michigan’s MPulse Vocal Arts Institute program, she’s setting her sights on U of M.
On the playlist: Though her music taste ranges from the classic (Fleetwood Mac, ABBA) to the contemporary (Taylor Swift, Harry Styles), the album of the moment for Nichols is Olivia Rodrigo’s brand-new You Seem Pretty Sad for a Girl So in Love.
6. Emmy Spence
School: West Senior High
Graduation year: 2028
Origin story: While Disney princesses, the Beastie Boys, and worship music have seemingly little in common on the surface, Spence says they all played into her budding interest in music as a child.
Claim to fame: Spence played the key role of Rayon in West’s production of Little Shop of Horrors earlier this year, but says her proudest accomplishment has been getting elected as co-secretary of the West choir program’s executive board. “Knowing that the choir students trust me to lead this program gives me a confidence like no other,” she says.
This coming school year: In her new leadership role, Spence says she’s looking forward to working with the rest of the executive board to welcome Mr. Cooper, and to work with him “to build an even stronger choral program than before.”
Long-range plans: Though she’s planning a non-musical road after high school—“I want to continue in a path of psychology, working to be a pediatric pathologist,” Spence says—she also hopes to keep music a part of the equation and is hoping to land at Cedarville University in Ohio.
On the playlist: Beyond Christian worship music, Spence’s listening also spans artists like Mac DeMarco, Lord Huron, Jack Johnson, and Fleetwood Mac.
7. Wren Walter
School: West Senior High
Graduation year: 2027
Origin story: Walter caught the performance bug after her mom signed her up to be part of the NMC Children’s Choir summer camp as a kid, an experience that led her to audition for her first musical (Annie) in third grade. “From that point on I haven’t stopped performing,” she says.
Claim to fame: Walter played both the narrator in Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dream Coat in 2025 and the lead role of Audrey in this year’s Little Shop of Horrors. She also co-chairs West’s choir council and just recently spent the summer honing her chops at a musical theater program at Boston’s famed Berklee College of Music.
This coming school year: Walter is already looking ahead to this year’s West musical, even though it won’t be cast for months. She’ll also be student-directing a production as part of West’s Theater 2 class, and continuing to lead the choir council.
Long-range plans: “My current goal is to get a bachelor of fine arts in musical theater, or to get my certification in music therapy,” Walter says. “Some of the schools that I am applying to include the University of Michigan, Western Michigan University, Oberlin Conservatory, Boston Conservatory of Music, and Berklee.”
On the playlist: Singer-songwriter Olivia Dean—whose smash hit “The Man I Need” has dominated the Billboard charts for the better part of a year—is Walter’s go-to. “She promotes self-love and helps me feel less anxious with my busy schedule inside and outside and school,” Walter says of Dean.
8. Alyssa Wares
School: Central High School
Graduation year: 2027
Origin story: “We moved back to Michigan in 2017 after my dad retired from the Navy,” Wares says. “It was then that I joined the NMC Children’s Choir, and that’s how I first fell in love with singing.”
Claim to fame: Wares has both classical and jazz bona fides. On the classical side, she was a finalist in this past spring’s Verdi Opera Competition, and sings with Central’s Chorale and Choral-Aires. On the jazz side, she plays rhythm guitar in the school’s jazz band, and has even collaborated with that ensemble as a jazz vocalist. According to Central choir teacher Tami Williams, Wares is also a budding choral director in her own right, having “conducted her first piece with Chorale last year.”
This coming school year: Look for Wares this fall as the Queen of Hearts in Wonderland. In addition to her continued involvement in choir and jazz band, she says she’s also “learning and playing trumpet in marching band” this fall.
Long-range plans: Wares hopes to pursue a career in music education, noting: “After job shadowing and conducting a piece with Mrs. Williams, I feel like teaching music is where I am supposed to be.”
On the playlist: True to her versatility as a music performer, Wares’ listening runs the gamut, from quiet indie folk to heavy metal. As for her favorite band, she points to local hometown heroes The Accidentals, noting: “I love the incorporation of cello into their music and the sway vibe of their songs.”
View On Our Website