The A Cappella Group or better known as TAG was founded in the 2003-04 school year and has had an impressive run. In total they have received 62 CARA nominations and 14 wins.
Recently CLHS hosted the ICHSA (International Championship of High School A Cappella) and the ICCA (International Championship of College A Cappella) quarterfinals. TAG earned second place and advanced to the semifinals.
“My favorite memory from TAG has always been competition, but I think it’s always when we get our first piece of music and we start to learn it because when we get our sets and we actually start to learn the music and we all sing the first cool chord ever it has this feeling of like ‘ahh’ and I see the spark and motivation in everybody in the group. It’s just a beautiful feeling to me to see everyone so motivated,” said Nik Bakos, a senior.
Many members of the group shared how TAG has gotten them closer and helped with their dedication and trust. Jude Miller said of the experience, “When I first came in as a freshman, I was a quiet kid. I was really in my shell. TAG has impacted my life because I’ve become more expressive and I have definitely become more confident over time as well. I feel like I’ve gotten a second family in my high school career from TAG.”
The Panther Post had a chance to sit down with Mr. Stroh after the group’s amazing performance for the school showcasing their set that they will be taking to the semifinals. “The story of the set deals with isolationism. Our first song is the feeling that the whole world is against you, and how to handle it. In our second song, the two people represent the positive and negative in ourselves, and if you’re going to be able to put all that behind and be positive and happy or are you going to let it sink down into that deep depression.”
When asked what advice he would give to students interested in joining TAG next year, he said “Do it. It’s fun. It makes you a better singer, a better listener, and hopefully a better person. Being a part of this group means relying on each other and because of that, they’ve all become really good friends.”
TAG traveled to North Carolina for the semifinals Friday Mar. 7, but despite their hard work and dedication, they came up short in their quest to make it to nationals.
