In Focus: Bemidji High School’s Vocalmotive Hosts 30th Annual Dinner Show

Bemidji High School’s varsity show choir Vocalmotive held its largest fundraiser of the year Friday evening during its 30th annual dinner show. Along with the dinner and individual talent performances, the biggest show of the night was the group’s first performance of the year.

But to prepare and event get to this point of the season, Vocalmotive has been practicing for over four months.

“This is almost the preview, so to speak,” said BHS Choir Director Gunnar Aas, “This is kind of our first public performances of the show, which is a really special thing, I think, you know, having those first shows be for the Bemidji community as we’ve gotten so much support from from the communities.”

While show choir is about the show, there’s so much more to being on the team than just being able to sing.

“I think it’s more about community, honestly, like making friends and because these are closest friends I’ve got,” said senior Vocalmotive member Zach Graf.

“It’s bigger than any one student,” stated Aas. “We have a band that backs us up. It’s the band, it’s the singers, it’s the choreographer.”

“I really love my team,” said senior Vocalmotive member Lelah Kiehne. “I feel like we’re very much like a family. Everybody’s just really fun to be around. And I feel like, well, with any team there can be some hiccups. We always come together in the end and kind of build each other up.”

This year’s theme is a masquerade prom, and everyone on stage has their costume and mask. But no two are the same, and each aspect of the costume also holds a deeper meaning.

“Trying to show that everyone is hiding behind something and trying to pretend like what they’re supposed to be,” explained Graf. “At the end of show, we just got to be who we are. Because if we’re all the same, then what’s so fun about the world?”

“Because a lot of the time people try to be just like who is next to them so they don’t stand out or don’t get bullied and stuff like that,” said Kiehne. “They want to fit in with society, and that doesn’t always make you your happiest. So it’s best to embrace who you actually are and show the world that.”

“At the end of the show we kind of break out of that and take our masks off, so to say, and kind of come into our true selves,” added Aas. “So we are all in this together. So it really is a special moment to be able to look at the stage and see. We all helped to put this together and I can’t give enough credit to these kids because they’ve worked so astronomically hard.”

The dinner show kicked off Vocalmotive’s competition season, and they have several more shows over the next several months.