On Feb. 25, the Cantabile Honors Chorale had the opportunity to perform at the Phoenix Suns game. The students arrived at the court, uniforms and all, to sing The Star Spangled Banner before the game began. The feedback from the audience was very positive and Cori VanderLey, the choir’s director, feels that it has helped “get Cantabile out there.” Students received positive relations from members of the audience. Junior Sidney Kerr shared an encounter with a women after their performance: “I was going back to my seat and this lady stopped me to say, “I’m so glad you guys sang this the way it’s meant to be sung! Not the screaming way it’s normally performed nowadays.’”

Performing at the game appeared to be a valuable experience for nearly every choir member. It provided them with a new audience, a new venue, and an exciting way to bring new attention to the group. It even captured the attention of the Suns’ Twitter page. Selling tickets to friends and family members also helped raise money for the performing arts department, which hopes to have similar events in the future. VanderLey said to the class, “So who thinks this is something we should do again in the future?” All hands were raised.