Interview: A Moment with Mary Margaret Platz
Article by Alex Thio
We have some amazing students in the SCSS. Mrs Gartner can attest to this! These are kids with quality personalities and characters, and some incredible vocal talent thrown in for good measure.
It’s my pleasure to interview one of these wonderful SCSS student members: Mary Margaret Platz, from St Ursula Academy.
AT: We’re so glad you chose to be a part of the SCSS, Mary Margaret! Tell us how you got involved with the choir.
MMP: My junior year in high school, while I was in Moeller‘s spring musical Shenandoah, I just so happened to be cast opposite the overly-involved Eric Werner. We became quick friends, and soon he was telling me all about his ever-increasing list of other extra-curriculars. He told me all about SCSS: touring Europe in places like Germany and Austria, becoming good friends with awesome people, and the endless amount of stories that came from that trip. I remember being so jealous of him, and of the way he treasured the experience. Then he told me that there were going to be auditions that coming summer for another Europe trip, and he was auditioning. He kept encouraging me to audition as well, and even got the informational papers for me when I couldn’t get to the first meeting. It was his constant encouragment and excitment about the choir that ultimately led me to audition for the opportunity of a lifetime. Well, that, and of course the fact that it was the opportunity of a lifetime!
AT: Being part of the SCSS surely has its demands: intense rehearsals, music memorization – not to mention, crazy choreography! What were some challenges you might have encountered as a choir member of the SCSS and did these challenges contribute to your growth as a musician?
MMP: For me, the biggest challenge as a member of SCSS has been overcoming my schedule conflicts. I was so fortunate to have a director like Mrs. Gartner who understands that people can get tied down with other involvements, but it still was a bit of a challenge keeping up. However, this challenge proved to be good for me as a musician. Not being able to be at every rehearsal made me work harder to stay on my toes and know my music. I had to work on my own a lot so that I would not be behind when it came time to rehearse with the whole group. In the end, my conflicts forced me to become more organized, and to become a harder worker.
AT: Like all of us, you must be so excited about the trip to Spain next week. Share with us what you are most looking forward to in Spain.
MMP: Wow, I can’t say that there is one thing I am looking forward to the most…I’m excited for it all! I love old buildings, so being able to sing in all these old churches is going to be incredible, and I love experiencing new cultures, which is what we will be doing the whole time. The prospect of learning to flamenco dance in the country of its origin is quite exciting as well. And, to top it all off, I get to sing (which I love) with the some of the most talented people I’ve ever met. To experience all of this with all of these wonderful people is like the cherry on top of a really good ice cream sundae. And you just can’t get any better than a really good ice cream sundae.
AT: What will the summer hold for Mary Margaret Platz when she returns from Spain? Pray tell!
MMP: Hmmm, summer after Spain? That is a good question. I wish I knew the answer myself. Most of my time after Spain will be spent working…I have come to realize the brutal truth that going to the college of your dreams requires a lot of money, so working will be my top priority. Beside that, I’m looking forward to making a dent in the epic book list I have compiled for myself over the school year, and playing as much piano as I can. (I don’t want to be too far behind the other piano primaries when I get to school this fall.) Other than that, I am really looking forward to spending time with my friends and family, bonfires, s’mores, and epic games of ghost-in-the-graveyard.
AT: Thanks, Mary Margaret! We’re so happy to have you onboard the SCSS and hope that this choral experience in Spain will be most memorable for you, before what might very well be a busy and productive summer for you!
