Monte Vista’s choir program has undergone a change in their program: a new director.

     Rosalind Neisinger, the new choir teacher and Monte Vista alum, is excited to transition into her new position at Monte Vista after teaching at Manhattan Beach in Southern California.

     “The school was in a very affluent area,” Neisinger said. “It was similar to Monte Vista in that the students work really hard, so the program was at a very high level.”

     With a change in choir directors — from Jodi Reed to Neisinger — there has been a change in teaching styles. However, choir will still run under the same ideology: passion.

     “I think [Reed] and I are similar in the way that we both love music and this school and the program and the students, so the passion is there,” Neisinger said. “It’s just the way that we unleash it in our teaching is different.”

     Senior Kaley McCumiskey describes Neisinger’s teaching style as efficient and passionate.

     “Ms. Neisinger’s teaching style is very quick and precise, so we can learn music the best that we can,” she said. “Ms. Neisinger is a hard worker with a passion for her job.”

      Neisinger values hard work and community in choir. 

     “She’s focused on getting that perfect sound,” sophomore Nikita Desai said. “We go into smaller groups with our pianist to work on our singing.”

     Neisinger wants to develop trust in her relationship with the students to maximize the quality of the sound.

     “If students all get along well and respect each other and the director, the choir is so cohesive,” Neisinger said. “It will be interesting to see the choir grow closer over the year and manifest into different sounds that we create.”

    Reed — Monte Vista’s former choir director — will be missed by the students who had her before. 

     “I loved Ms. Reed,” Desai said. “She was really easy to talk to and super into her work as a teacher.”

     McCumiskey has been in choir all four years of her high school career and had a close relationship with Reed over the three years they spent together. 

     “I was sad to hear that she was leaving, but I knew that her new school would be getting a great teacher, and that we would be [getting a good new teacher] as well,” McCumiskey said. 

     But the students are not the only ones who knew Reed personally. Neisinger had connected with her, as well.

     “I actually had [Reed] for her first year teaching, so we had a really close relationship after I moved on to college and beyond that,” Neisinger said. “She was a mentor and a friend to me outside of school, so I have all respect for her. She’s awesome.”

     Speaking as an alumni, Neisinger’s advice to students at Monte Vista applies extremely well.

     “Find faculty and friends that will be your support system,” Neisinger said. “I know that there are days that are really hard, lots of classes are really difficult, so I found teachers and friends that supported me and got me through high school.”

    Despite the sudden change from Reed to Neisinger, Neisinger will continue the success of the choir program and maintain the connection among choir members.