Spotlight on: Bravura Seniors
(From Spirito! Newsletter Issue #4, 2010-2011)
Alana Moritz: I am going to University of Colorado- Boulder to study Integrated Kinesiology. I am enrolled in the Honors program. I plan to participate in Intramural tennis, skiing, and soccer. And my favorite Spirito! quote is "WE HAVE NO BENCH!".
Amy Costello: My first and last year in Spirito! has been an unforgettable one, I believe I've really progressed as a musician. All that I've learned will definitely stick with me, and next year I hope to continue singing in as many choirs as I can! I will be attending DePaul University next year.
Anna Moll: The time I spent with Molly and the girls in Spirito! for the past six years has been more than an amazing experience. I have developed some of the best friendships I could ever ask for, as well as a sense of belonging and professionalism that can’t be found anywhere else. I look forward to spending the next four years at Elmhurst College where I will study Spanish and business. I hope to continue singing in the Elmhurst College choir, and plan to come back to visit Bravura.
Anna Stasica: Although I haven't finalized my college plans, I'm probably going to DePaul University - College of Communication, undecided major, and I definitely plan on continuing with choir! I've considered becoming an editor, creative director, marketer, or perhaps a designer? I'm a very visual person and I hope to combine my interpersonal skills, writing skills and creativity to work. I somewhat began this project already, but I would like to continue writing a non-fiction book this summer regarding a "high-schoolers" view of the business behind education, the politics of high school and so on. I also plan to dodge and beat the so called freshman 15 by becoming more active! Of course I have too many favorite Spirito! memories, but I distinctly remember a funny prayer Cathleen gave which included a mention of our awesome Spirito! weekends. She knows what I'm talking about ;) I'm thankful for being welcomed into this choir and I wish best of luck to all the girls!
Christine O'Brien: I have not chosen a school yet, but I will be a vocal performance major. My favorite memories of Spirito! are many, and I would like to thank Mrs. Lindberg for the incredible presence she has been in my life over the past two years. She demonstrates excellent musicianship, integrity, grace, and discipline in every situation, and she inspires the same qualities in her singers. Spirito! has helped me grow not only as a musician but as a person. I will treasure my experiences with both Mrs. Lindberg and the amazing girls in the group for the rest of my life.
Dana DeBoni: I want to start by saying that I love and respect Mrs. Lindberg so much. I have been singing with her since 6th grade and I have so many wonderful memories that she has been a part of. She is a wonderful leader and teacher and I have learned so much about music and myself from her. It wasn’t always easy…I’ll always remember singing just a few notes of a piece and her stopping and we would have to start over…but in the end she made us all sound so beautiful. I made new friends in this choir that will be in my heart forever. We shared our faith with each other and all the people who heard us sing. I am so honored to be a part of Mrs. Lindberg’s “dream” of Spriito!. It is so hard to think about singing a final song (again!), but I hope and pray that I will sing with Mrs. Lindberg yet again. I am planning on attending Northern Illinois University, majoring in Early Childhood Education.
Divya Pillai: I am excited to attend MIT this fall! I'm planning to major in Biological Engineering. I will definitely continue singing- I plan to take private voice lessons, and I'm hoping to join a choir or an acapella group at MIT. I've made some great friends in this choir who I wouldn't have met if not for Spirito!. Through Spirito!, I also met Mrs. Lindberg, whose dedication to her work is truly inspiring. I'm so thankful for the opportunity to teach music theory in the Ragazze choir. The Ragazze students are much like the Bravura girls- incredibly sweet and honest in their effort to learn. I am so proud to be their teacher. Thanks Mrs. Lindberg for an incredible three years! My Spirito! experiences have convinced me to continue studying music in college. I'll dearly miss the Spirito! girls and Mrs. Lindberg when I leave! I hope our Spirito! family can continue to keep in touch.
Gloria Martinez: Being in Spirito! has been an unforgettable experience I will always cherish. Mrs. Lindberg is an amazing director who helped each of us make a difference in people’s lives through sacred music. It has been an honor to be with Mrs. Lindberg since second grade. Thank you Mrs. Lindberg for all your time, effort and dedication to help us grow spiritually, grow together and grow as musicians. I enjoyed meeting new friends and the unity of the organization. Having the opportunity to serve others was a learning experience that taught me how something as simple as singing a song can make a huge impact on a person. One of the most memorable Spirito! moments for me was the ironic “My Lord what a morning” ministry Sunday. I will be double majoring in business administration and mathematics at DePaul University and I plan to continue singing in college.
Glynis Albue: I will be attending University of Wisconsin-Whitewater next year and playing volleyball! I will be majoring in Business with a minor in Spanish.
Katie Knopf: I have been an active member of Spritio! for the past two years, and my only regret is not joining sooner! I am very grateful to be part of such a wonderful organization, which has exposed me to some incredible music literature and helped me become a better musician. I will be going on to major in Vocal Music Education at North Central College next year, and I am looking forward to whatever plans God has in store for me. A big thank you to Mrs. Lindberg and all supporting members of the Spritio! organization for giving me this incredible opportunity, and thanks to my parents for their unending support and love.
Liz Wise: I will be going to the University of Iowa, with a Speech Pathology major and I plan on being a part of the drumline there. Getting to know the girls each year and making those connections, along with seeing the final result in the concerts made all of the intense practices that occurred worth it (even if I was only listening to them!). Seeing Glynis Albue and Alana Moritz dancing to African Celebration is something that I always smile when I think about, while listening to the seniors last year singing The Climb can still bring a tear to my eye. I also loved Vivos Voco this year.
Maria Provancal: I have been in Spirito! for three years now and I have loved every moment of it. Singing has always been a passion of mine and when I learned that there would be no time in my schedule for choir at school I became very upset until I heard about Spirito! from a friend. I quickly signed up for an audition and every Sunday since I look forward to Spirito!. The part I enjoy the most aside from singing is the friendships I have made through being in this group, this group has also molded me into the person I am today making me a better and more complete person. As my days quickly began to run out in this choir I thought about how much I would miss this next year. While it was at times hard to convince myself to get to the practices on Friday nights, or to make it through the long hours on tech week, the concerts made it all worth it and we made it through with laughs and memories. I plan to go into Occupational Therapy at College of DuPage and then after two years at College of DuPage I plan to transfer to either Concordia University or University of Illinois at Chicago. Hopefully I can continue to grow both musically and spiritually but I will always be thankful for the years I spent as a member of Spirito!.
Phoenix Melvin: I have been a part of Spirito! since the very beginning, in fact, even before that. Next year, I am going to be a freshman at the University of Wisconsin- Madison as a vocal performance major. Being a part of Spirito! has helped me achieve my goals in music, the thing I love the most. I have met so many people and made many best friends. I have also learned the value of hard work by seeing the finished product. Spirito has made me determined; it has made me persistent. But most of all, Spirito! has made me a leader. Being a part of this organization for the last four years helped shape who I am today, and I can mostly thank Mrs. Lindberg for that. She has created a program teaching young woman not only the impact of music, but also camaraderie and team work - basic life skills. Mrs. Lindberg has been an inspiration to all of us, and I will miss her and all the girls very much next year.
Sheila Mullen: I have many great memories of Spirito! from the parties at the Lindberg's home, to the wonderful people I met, and to the beautiful concerts we performed at all the churches. I have had an amazing experience with Spirito!, and I had so much fun being a part of it. Next year I plan to study pre-med at Saint Louis University. Spirito! has influenced me to join a choir at college next year.