Her arms intensely expressing the music to her students, head choir director Elizabeth Adsit conducts the varsity acappella choir.
In her previous 16 years at the school, Adsit worked as the assistant director before being promoted after Lindy Perez retired.
“I just find so much happiness in what I do, and it’s been a fun transition, like working with new groups and having that new challenge,” Adsit said.
Filling Adsit’s assistant choir director job was RHS choir alum Caroline Watson. Before continuing to the junior varsity and varsity choirs and making it into the All-State Choir three years in a row, Watson was a part of the women’s choir under the direction of Adsit.
“She’s just kind of always been there for me, even if we haven’t seen each other in years,” Watson said. “She’s like, the ultimate advocate and mentor for me.”
Watson taught music classes at Spring Creek Elementary School before getting the job at RHS. She was initially intimidated by the idea of teaching choral music to high school students, but her experience was better than she anticipated.
“The first day was the best day that I’ve ever experienced,” Watson said. “I remember that specifically, the empathy that I watched the kids show each other, you guys are just really kind.”
Last school year, the choirs were mixes of in-person and virtual singers due to the Covid-19 pandemic, and the shift back to in-person learning for all students has impacted the dynamic between them.
“I feel like we’re a lot more unified as a choir because everyone that’s in choir is here in person,” senior Gretchen Kraemer said.
Students who have been in acappella with both Adsit and Perez noticed that the atmosphere in choir has also been affected by the shift in leadership.
“I feel like Mrs. Adsit is less strict in class, and I feel like that kind of takes a lot of the pressure off of us, especially, like, [when] we’re in the UIL season,” Kraemer said.
Adsit said that she wanted to promote a positive environment for the choir students and personally connect with them.
“They’re really here because they love to sing, and they love to be a part of something, and I feel like that has to be a positive experience,” Adsit said. “I also have always thought that kindness should win over anything else.”
The choir directors’ work to promote a kinder and more supportive culture was reflected in their interactions with each other and with their students.
“I think by staying open to people always being here and wanting to be here, and I’m there for them if they need me, Watson the same, I think that helps to create that culture,” Adsit said.
