ALUMNI IN FOCUS
Schmidt ’74
Leads Standout
Singers
The Hickory Tree Chorus qualified for the International Chorus Competition in Las Vegas, where it faced groups
more than twice its size.
“Did we beat the ones that
were huge?” says Carolyn
Schmidt ’74, director and musical arranger. “Noooo. Did we sing really well? Yes.”
The contest was held in a 10,000-seat arena, where the
70-member group, based in
North Jersey, won over the crowd.
“This is more than just singing,” she says. “We’re singing, dancing, and we’ve memorized the music. It’s much more like performing
in a musical.”
Schmidt was president of the Meister Singers at Lafayette. The math graduate went on to work at Bell Laboratories as a computer speech researcher before leaving
to raise her daughters.
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