SPOTLIGHT SHINING DOWN; FT. MAKAYLA RATLIFF

Makayla Ratliff, class of ‘26, was involved with both the show choir, You Are Not Alone, and the choral reading The Boys of Waterloo. This was her third year of doing show choir and her first year of participating in the choral reading. Her choral reading group, The Boys of Waterloo, performed at All-State at Iowa State University in the Stephens Auditorium and gave a moving performance. It also won 1st place at the WaMaC conference in the overall choral reading category.  

The following is an interview with Makayla Ratliff conducted by The Anchor staff. 

What is your favorite thing about choral reading?

I loved going to the competitions, especially All-State, because we got to spend the night in Ames.

What does the choral reading mean to you?

Choral reading is about telling a story with personal connections. I think that’s what made this year so special because we could all relate to the true story of the Sullivan Brothers in some way.

What is show choir about this year, and what does it mean to you?

The show choir this year was You Are Not Alone and we told the story through music of reaching out to other people and that there is always someone that is going to be there for you. There’s someone that has always been there for you and will be there for you, which is especially told through our ballad “It’s Always Been You”. Whenever we perform that song, I always think about my parents because they are the people who have always been there for me. Especially my mom, who's at every single show choir competition. Our fourth song, “Reach Out I’ll Be There” reminds me of my friends because they’re also always there for me when I need them. 

MAKAYLA RATTLIFF AFTER PERFORMING IN THE SHOW CHOIR SHOWCASE; PHOTO BY JULIETA ORTIZ

What is your favorite thing about show choir?

My favorite thing about show choir is going to competitions. I remember specifically that every year that we've gone to Central Lee during finals, before the awards ceremony everyone goes on to the stage that we performed on and does either the “Cupid Shuffle” or “Cotton Eye Joe”. People hear the music, and it starts with a few people then everyone goes on stage. It’s a tradition. Students from other schools join in as well. It’s always really fun.

What is a challenge you have overcome for show choir?

I remember my freshman year I would beat myself up for not getting good spots in formations for certain songs. For every song, you have to “audition” in front of the choreographer, and they pick where people are placed in formations. So if you have good facials and pick up the choreography well and quickly, you’ll be more in the front. But freshman year I didn’t really know what I was doing, so I was more in the back. Sophomore year, I had gotten a little bit better, and now I have come a long way. I’m really proud of how much I have improved on quickly picking up choreography and my overall dancing ability. It was really nice to see how my hard work paid off and was recognized. 

What is your favorite memory from show choir this year?

My favorite memory from show choir was going to all of the elementary schools and performing our show four times total for all of the elementaries. I loved seeing how happy and excited they were for us to be there and to see us dancing for them. I remember when I was in elementary school and the show choir came to perform for us, it was always like the best day ever, and it was so much fun. And I’m sure there’s some kid out there who’s thinking the same thing. Even though they might not think about it for the rest of elementary and middle school, they could do show choir in high school, and it would be like a full circle moment. It was a great experience.