It’s more than Glee: The truth behind the ‘choir kid’

The “choir kid” goes beyond the four years of high school, and beyond the TV screen as individuals queue up “Glee” and “Pitch Perfect.” The “choir kid” is fictional—a dramatized version of a student with a passion for music. However, by uncovering the layers of a “choir kid,” a passion for choir that outlasts a high school music department is found.

The power of music plays a role in the community of choir, according to Henry Vote, a freshman and member of the a cappella group, Bathtub Dogs. He noted that being surrounded by the people in various choirs—the “choir kids”—is a positive experience.

“I think that music is such a powerful thing that everyone can really connect to. And when you get to do it with a group of people for a long amount of time, you get really close and then you have to bond,” Vote said.

However, the closeness Vote describes is overshadowed by articles noting the “signs of a choir geek” and TikToks highlighting the common traits of students in their high school choir.

While the stereotypes of characters like Rachel Berry from Glee appear to be sensationalized, they also provide a striking view of the “choir kid” as someone fueled by their passion.

Freshman and member of Pitch Please A Cappella group, Lilly Ginsburg, attributes most of the “choir kid” personality to someone with a high level of commitment.

“I think an aspect of being like a choir kid is having some like sort of competitive competitiveness within you,” Ginsburg said. “I feel like that really helps to drive people to do the best that they can do, and that's also just like a part of committing 100% to their craft.”

The drive that fuels the members goes beyond a cappella, according to Ginsburg. She highlighted how hardworking the members are in other aspects of their lives.

“Every person I've met in the acapella groups, like, not one of them is ever slacking,” Ginsburg said. “Everyone has a job, they've got their majors. The work that they put in is just great.”

Going all the way back to their high school careers, Ginsburg said that even her principal could notice how driven the students who were involved with the various choirs were.

“Our principal would always talk about how music kids always tend to do like really well in school. And like that still stands to this day. Just all the music kids I've met are very driven and they want to do very well the best that they can do. So they put in the work,” Ginsburg said.

These attributes noted by Ginsburg can be seen as she will even go back to their high school, Millard North High School, along with her roommate and member of Big Red Singers, Jenna Schweigart. As she explained why they love to help their former high school’s show choir, it all came back down to the people—the choir kids—who made them feel welcome.

“I know for me personally, music has been a huge safe space for me ever since middle school and having somewhere where I was able to go and feel free to be myself and feel comfortable in an environment where people aren't always welcoming,” Ginsburg said. “It was nice to be able to involve myself in music and also be surrounded by people who love to do it just as much as I do, and that's where I felt the least judgment and where I am happiest.”