No one would question that sophomore Aleah Minks has an enthusiasm for many things and one of them is music and performing.
Minks is very enthusiastic and eager to learn more about being a musician.
“I honestly just love getting to learn more and more about how to develop our skills as musicians. I love learning new terms and what they mean, I love discovering new techniques, and I can even sometimes enjoy the torture of sight-reading, when I start to understand it, that is. I enjoy doing the shows, but better than that I think is the rush you get from having done the show. It’s a little hard to explain, but there’s this buzz you’re left with that leaves you feeling on top of the world,” Minks said.
Vocal music director Deanna Schockmann recognizes that Minks is eager to learn in the classroom, Minks is a part of the Women’s Choir class at WHS.
“She has a very happy disposition and is truly a joy to have in class. She’s not afraid to ask questions so that she can gain a greater depth of knowledge in music. Aleah truly wants to improve her skill set and is working towards that each day. She has a natural quality to her voice and is becoming more of a leader each day in choir,” Schockmann said.
Minks said she just kind of fell into the choir program.
“Women’s choir was honestly a happy accident; I was in eighth grade, and my elective got switched in the second semester. It was a LOT of firsts for me, but it was inevitably what brought me into the world of genuine performance instead of a silly little gig I was stuck into. It was a huge struggle at first, because I came into it after not having a single music class for three years. I would sing when I wasn’t supposed to, I’d sing the wrong notes, and was completely behind when it came to sheet music,” Minks said. “I don’t believe there’s been a day so far that I’ve not walked out of that classroom knowing just a little bit more than I did yesterday, and I attribute all of that to Mrs. Schockmann and the high level of excellence she pushes us to.”
Enthusiastic to be more involved with her musical talents, she began acting. Minks is in productions at Liberty Theater in Sedalia
“I joined my first production at the Liberty Center the same year I joined choir. When I did my first audition, I was so nervous about it that I pretty much was begging my mom to let me skip and take me home. I was a very meager and little person back then, and my mom told me flat-out that being little and dimming your light was the opposite of what these directors wanted. I didn’t understand that then, but I powered through it and landed my first role as “Jagger” in ‘We Will Rock You’. Since then, I have been involved in over thirteen projects at the Liberty Theatre – musicals, original plays, poetry recitals, reader’s theater, workshops, voice over, and I’ve even helped write two original plays,” Minks said.
Once she began performing it was euphoric and there was no other feeling in the world like this.
“One of my directors, Carl Hutcherson, gave us a speech before a show that put it so well into words, ‘Magic is real, not because fairies exist, but because I have seen it happen. When you go out on that stage, you are in the moment, and when it’s over, that moment is gone forever and will never exist again.’ And as an actor and performer, I can tell you myself that there is nothing more incredible than standing under those lights before what feels like the whole world, letting part of yourself boom out of you that the world would otherwise never get to see. And when the show’s over, you’re left with the euphoria of putting something so incredible into the world, but all that’s left is a memory shared between you and your audience. I enjoy doing the shows, but better than that I think is the rush you get from having done the show. It’s a little hard to explain, but there’s this buzz you’re left with that leaves you feeling on top of the world,” Minks said.
The opportunity she got with acting gave her a whole new perspective on the arts. “You also meet so many cool people from interesting backgrounds and perspectives, as well as different skill and experience levels. Whether you’re brand new or have been there your whole life, everyone is learning new things, working together, and supporting one another, and we almost become a family of sorts. While I’m grateful for the opportunities given by WHS, the atmosphere and connections you find there are so drastically different than what you’ll find in a choir class. Not to say choir is any less valuable, but it’s just… different. But I’m thankful that I’ve gotten to have both experiences, because each one changed me as a person, just in different ways. But aside from all of that, the only word I can use to describe the Liberty Center is home. Every time I step through those doors, feel the cool air from the AC, take in the smell of the building once again… I always feel a familiar mix of comfort and excitement, knowing that we’re on our way to producing something magical,” Minks said.
