By Tim SchmidtRecord Managing EditorA choir group at Warrenton High School is finding a modern approach in the way they perform.And it’s through singing songs you jam to in your car every day.Pitch the Keys, the school’s a cappella group, has evolved from being an after-school club to a dedicated class that is drawing rave reviews at the different venues it performs at.Just don’t expect members to sing songs written by Bach or Beethoven. Instead, the likes of Katy Perry, Imagine Dragons or Alicia Keys is more their style.“A cappella music is difficult,” choir director Jarrod Hendricks said. “It has that same technicalities, but more in the popular sense.”The high-energy performances are filled with popular songs. That enjoyment shows in the way the members practice and perform.“It’s fun to show a different side of Warrenton,” senior Priscilla Esteves said. “It’s not cookie-cutter, and we’re outside the box. We get to show how much fun we have and we’re so talented.”Three years ago, Hendricks asked students if they were interested in having a club that was an off-shoot of the movie “Pitch Perfect” and the television show “Sing Off.” Pitch the Keys was formed and performed only at community events in its first year.The following year, the group received approval to meet as a class during school hours. That same year, its first in competition, Pitch the Keys finished fourth at the International Championship of High School A Cappella (ICHSA) Midwest competition.The success has continued this year. Last month, Pitch the Keys was one of five choirs in the region selected to compete at the inaugural Christmas Chorale, hosted at Union Station by the St. Louis radio station Fresh 102.5.In March, Pitch the Keys will compete once again in DeKalb at the ICHSA competition.“It is a prestigious thing,” Hendricks said. “It is a nice honor.”Senior Jared Kilpack serves as the beat boxer for the group, where he provides drum beats and other sounds using his mouth. He said members mesh well by combining their talent and creativity.“I just make up that stuff,” he said. “I don’t have a written part at all. We add ideas to our arrangements. We get to make it our own.”The group is routinely asked to perform at other high schools or for a variety of organizations in the area. Perhaps most importantly, the success of Pitch the Keys has extended to other areas outside of the classroom.“Half of the group, I would say, has come out of their comfort zone,” Hendricks said. “Their grades have gone up. I think their friendships have become deeper. There have been a lot of great things that have happened with this group.”Members of the Warrenton High School Pitch the Keys a cappella group are pictured from left, front row, Madeline Carlson, Priscilla Esteves, Rebecca Winn, Amanda Lafaver and Josh Wagner. Second row, Dominic Kennedy, Emily Dowd, Rebecca Block, Madison Stevens, Mackenzie Miller, Raegan Cupp, Ciara Reinhart, Marissa Hamlett and Olivia Clancy. Third row, Noah Welk, Jordon Washington, Justin Kilpack, Jake Carlton, Jared Kilpack, Logan Stahl, Grant Cordell and Alex Holloway. Derrick Forsythe photo.
