Photo courtesy of Kyle Riches
Pinewood’s a cappella group Take Note has found great success in its seven years of existence. The Class of 2022, consisting of seniors Peyton Chui, Isabelle Eivers, Andreas Kamangar, Magnolia Lemmon, Mia Pistelak, Prithi Srinivasan, Andrew Wong, Owen Woods and Maya Zhan, is just the latest group of talented singers who lead the group. What is unique about this particular class is that they make up seven out of the ten roster spots on the team. From bonding on trips across the country to singing via Zoom for more than a year to winning second place at the 2022 International Championship of High School Acapella (ICHSA) competition in Oregon, this group of seniors has been through it all.
Choir teacher and Take Note founder Katie Linza has truly felt the impact of the seniors.
“The group is a tight-knit group of seniors who I feel very close to, and it's a joy to work so closely with them,” Linza said.
According to Lemmon, singing over Zoom was especially tough.
“Through Zoom, it was really rough. . . . Imagine singing with the mute in your room, in your pajamas that you have been wearing for two days straight,” Lemmon said.
By making it through this unique experience together, the group emerged even more tightly knit. Srinivasan has experienced the energy of how much the group has bonded.
“I am so grateful to be able to have nine best friends after being on Take Note,” Srinivasan said.
The highlight of the career of these seniors was winning second place at ICHSA. They were accustomed to winning third, so coming in second was truly an accomplishment for the seniors.
“It was just magical because we've spent two years . . . feeling like our group has not been as good as it could be because of the pandemic and all of the limited performances,” Lemmon said.
When asked about Take Note’s reaction to the finish, Srinivasan also feels similarly.
“We were all really shocked because of the thought of nine people from a tiny high school in California winning this regional competition where every group had twenty people, [sometimes] thirty people, it is pretty crazy,” Srinivasan said.
Over the course of four years, the seniors have formed an exceptional group and have learned so much about themselves and each other.
“Every year, I am always amazed at how far the seniors have come . . . this year is no different,” Linza said. “I've known these kids for more than four years and have been able to watch them as they grow and really start to own their talents. I'll miss them greatly!”