Music InMotion hosts show choir invitational at MPCHS Saturday

Mt. Pleasant Community High School's show choir Music InMotion will be hosting their annual show choir invitational this Saturday, Feb. 2. The invitational begins at 9:30 a.m. with evening finals starting at 7:15 p.m.

This will be Music InMotion's first full performance of their 2019 show.

Music in Motion's set is five songs: 'Our Own House,” 'Dreams Come True,” 'It Might Be Hope,” a mashup of 'Step Into the Bad Side and Sign,” 'Sealed, Delivered” and 'Good as Gold.”

Callie DePriest, a senior at MPCHS, said that after all the bitter cold temperatures of this week, it will be a breath of fresh air for people to get out of the house and enjoy the show.

'It's going to be a fun year. The songs are great, and I think we're all excited and nervous for the weekend,” Callie said.

Other show choirs began their competition season at the beginning of January. Students with Music InMotion are excited and nervous and want to impress visiting show choirs with their first performance of the year.

'Once we get on stage, everyone will shake out those nerves,” senior Kelsey Notestein said.

Notestein's favorite part of the show is that they 'hit the crowd with a wall of sound” right away.

Senior Avante Henley will be performing with Music InMotion for the first time this year. Henley said he had no choice but to join show choir his senior year of high school at the urging of his teachers.

Although Henley admitted he was nervous, he said, 'Let's get at it. Let's go for it.”

Claire Holtkamp, a junior MPCHS student, said she thinks it really hit everyone during a rehearsal on Monday, Jan. 28, just how soon their first performance was, adding that rehearsal went well.

Yorke Prough, a junior at MPCHS, is excited to be an upperclassmen this year and to 'lead a bit,” he said.

Prough said he always loves the invitational. 'Everybody's in a good mood. It's good to see the different performances,” he said.

Last-minute changes were almost made to Music in Motion's set. They did not receive copyright permission to perform the last song, 'Good as Gold,” until Tuesday, Jan. 29.

The show choir even prepared 'Dance Like Nobody's Watching,” a song performed two years ago, to replace 'Good as Gold” if they did not receive permission in time.

Notestein said upperclassmen taught younger performers on Sunday, Jan. 27, the choreography to 'Dance Like Nobody's Watching” in just under two hours as a backup.

Marlene DePriest, MPCHS vocal music teacher, said they went through the proper channels to get copyright permission for 'Good as Gold,” as they do with all the songs they perform, the composer just hadn't finished the process until Tuesday.

Marlene expects the students to perform well this weekend.

'They always step up. The seniors we have lay great groundwork and are great examples for the next group,” Marlene said.

Show choirs from Ft. Madison, Central Lee, South St. Paul, Minn., Davenport Central, Pella High School, Hannibal, Mo., Pekin, Ill., and Cedar Rapids Xavier will be competing.

There also will be an exhibition performance by Mt. Mercy University's show choir.

'We snagged them for an exhibition,” DePriest said. 'It gets their name out there and also gives high school students the opportunity to see what's out there. They don't have to stop (performing) at the end of their senior year of high school. They can find that right college that will give them opportunities.”

There is an admission fee for the invitational and concessions will be available for purchase.

The invitational is a fundraiser for the Music Boosters.

Music in Motion will be performing in Benton on Feb. 9; in Pella on Feb. 16; at Central Lee on Feb. 23; and will finish their season in Ft. Madison on March 2.