Music to our ears: Mr. Shawn Spiess has returned to Rocklin! Spiess, a once Rocklin High choir teacher, has great things in store for this year’s choir program. He gives some insight to his experiences and accomplishments as a choir teacher at Rocklin and in other schools.

Q: How many years of experience do you have leading/teaching choir?

A: About 10 years, but only six in high school.

Q: Where else have you taught besides Rocklin?

A: I have taught at Lodi, and I also taught at Granite Oaks and Spring View. I also taught Spanish at some point.

Q: How is the Rocklin choir compared to your old choir?

A: The Rocklin choir is better than the Lodi choir for sure; if we’re talking about the choir I taught several years back, it’s hard to compare because of the number of students then and now.

Q: What expectations do you have for this year’s students?

A: I expect them to perform well, sing well, do well in competitions, and overall just have fun.

Q: Can you give us a little insight to what you have in store for this year’s choir, perhaps what kind of songs you have planned?

A: We’ll sing everything from modern pop to classic. We’ll have songs in languages from English to French to Swahili. We have some a capella songs and some songs with instrumental accompaniment planned as well. This year we might have combination songs with the band or dance students.

Q: Why did you decide to come back to Rocklin High, or was it a choice?

A: Oh, it was definitely a choice, and I was in Kansas City for a while and I just wanted back to California. Obviously, it’s nice to have a job and I just wanted to get back to teaching and conducting choir.

Q: What kinds of awards have you won in the past?

A: The choir in 2004 won a National Choral Competition, and that was no doubt the most memorable award. The choir has won other awards here and there, but they can’t really compare to winning a national competition.

Q: Have you ever participated in any choir festivals?

A: Yes, plenty of them. We’ve been in state, out of state, and everywhere from Hawai’i to Los Angeles to New York.

Q: What can you bring to the table for the choir students?

A: I can bring excitement and passion, and I hope the students have a memorable time, and they leave the program as a changed person. Also, I hope that they learn to sing!

This year’s choir can rest assured that they are in the hands of an experienced and driven teacher who can and will do the best for them as they strive to get better and produce some wonderful sound.