Kristen Hamilton
Mrs. Hamilton is the new show choir director who was chosen from a pool of highly qualified applicants. She has already made a positive impact on both staff and students as the interim director. Her vision to elevate the program aligns perfectly with the Glendora Unified School District’s mission, beliefs, and goals. Her connections to Glendora are strong; from family members who were a part of Glendora High’s first graduating class, to teaching private and group voice lessons to many Glendora USD current students and alumni. Notably, she was a member of the Citrus College, Citrus Singers, and worked closely with one of the best show choir directors in Southern California, Michelle Jensen, DMA. Glendora has a rich tradition of excellence in choral music, and she is committed to honoring and continuing those traditions while also bringing new opportunities and creative approaches to inspire the students. Her goal is to create a supportive and challenging environment where every singer feels valued, motivated, and proud to be part of the Glendora Choir Family. She holds a Master of Music in Vocal Performance (Classical) and a Master of Music in Choral Conducting.
Q: What is your favorite song you have or are going to perform, and why?
A: You know, I never have a favorite song except for the songs I’m working on, and right now it’s Do You Hear What I Hear.
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Q: How long does it take to perfect a performance, and what does it entail?
A: Well, it can take your entire life; you can learn a song and take anywhere from a couple of weeks or months to learn a song, and then you could end up singing it 10 years later, and still your voice has changed, or your way of doing things has changed, and so it's just the song's progress. As you get older, each song just becomes better and better, and you work harder and harder, and change different layers, you just keep adding layers to your performance.
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Q: Why did you choose performing arts?
A: Well, I love to sing, and I love being around people. I actually prefer the rehearsal more than I prefer the performance, isn't that crazy, but I really I love rehearsal, I love practicing and getting things to become better by perfecting songs, and just working with people, I love that.
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Q: What advice would you give to a student who is struggling in class?
A: Talk to your teacher, talk to your teacher they're more than willing to help you, and if you have a question, we love answering questions. That's why we're here.
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Q: What is the structure of practices?
A: In rehearsal, we practice different songs, like I put some songs on the board and I say we're going to do this. We'll have a warm-up first, and then we work on each song, but if you're practicing by yourself, the first thing I say is you should learn the words in rhythm, and then you should learn the notes separately from the words. Like sing it on a nonsense syllable like la la la la la or d d d d d, and then you put the two together, so it just depends if you are an instrumentalist and you need to figure out the rhythm first. Usually, the rhythm is the first thing you learn, and then you add on the different layers.
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Q: What advice would you give to a student who is struggling in class?
A: Talk to your teacher, talk to your teacher they're more than willing to help you, and if you have a question, we love answering questions. That's why we're here.
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1 in 2164 Interview for Tartan Media's Morning Announcements
Hailey McDuffie, Visual Media Co-Editor