For senior Aaron Harrel, ”Highschool has been an opportunity to sort of develop creatively,” according to STA Digital Media Instructor, and Aaron’s father, Shawn Harrel.
Aaron devotes most of his time to theatre, band, and choir. But only the occasional theatre show isn’t enough.
Aaron is the Webmaster of West Side Stage, a member of the improv team, and involved in just about every single production, whether it be performing onstage or technical sound design. Harrel had the opportunity to perform in his role in the play Mousetrap at the state theatre conference this year, as well as playing a lead in The Play That Goes Wrong, which broke West’s ticket sale records for a theatrical play. As of right now, Aaron plans to pursue a Bachelor in Fine Arts.
Showing a passion for all kinds of performing, Harrel has also been in the wind ensemble in the highest band since his freshman year. He said it helped him to be thrown into something where “the learning for everyone else is faster, which forces you to learn faster,” Harrel said.
Harrel’s journey with choir is a similar story.
“I’m in Una Voce and Concert Choir, but only began choir this year,” Harrel said. Una Voce is an audition based chamber choir for upperclassmen. He began taking voice lessons over the summer following his junior year. Performing as Squidward in Spongebob the Musical his junior year is what launched his choir journey.
Aaron said he prepared for the role for months in advance, spending countless hours with the soundtrack in his car. Choir Director Jacob Lowry said he was impressed that, especially considering it was one of his first vocal performances for an audience, Aaron “Was able to step up into that role and give it everything he had.”
Although he said being thrown into the world of choir his senior year was an enormous undertaking, “I’m very glad that I did [it].” Harrel said he felt like he’s always been missing out on choir, as theatre and choir went hand in hand, and many of his friends loved both.
Lowry said that everything Aaron could possibly do in a choir year, he “has gone out and he has done it.”
Harrel also was enrolled in his father’s Digital Media Technology class at STA. “It really allowed me to pursue what I wanted to,” Harrel said.
Aaron has experimented with film making, creating an original soundtrack, and sound design. However, “He’s still sort of hyper-focused on acting,” Shawn Harrel said.
With such great love of performing and creativity to devote to only one path, Aaron Harrel has branched out and thrived in his many endeavors at West.
“It’s been great to see him just go all in his senior year,” Lowry said.
