Millbrook has long been known for our outstanding arts programs. We excel in music, art, writing, and countless other areas. Among these, our school boasts multiple choirs and bands as part of our music department, with one of the most well known groups on campus being the Madrigals. Millbrook’s Madrigals is the highest level offered of the choir program, with students having to audition to be able to join its ranks. While all students apart of the Millbrook Madrigals are spectacular in their own right, one stand-out student is senior Ava Allen.

  Funnily enough, Allen describes how she first got involved with the choir program, saying, “I was actually put into choir as a freshman because I did not get any of my other electives.” She shares that despite what initially felt like a setback, choir over the years has ended up being her most important class. In addition to being a part of Millbrook’s Madrigals choir, she has also participated in the North Carolina Governor’s School West Choir during the summer of 2021. She jokes that she’s come a long way in her four years of highschool from her start in Vocal Music One, lovingly nicknamed “babies.”

  While Allen says that singing has always been a big part of her life, she says that the biggest impact on her life so far has been being in the choir program. She explains this, saying, “I just think it’s a place where people can get together and be themselves and I think some of the most genuine friendships are made out of that.” The most important part of Madrigals to her would have to be the community within Madrigals. She speaks about the enormous amount of effort and care everyone puts into their singing and the choir itself. With this being her second year as soprano section leader she feels deeply connected to the choir and the members of the choir, saying that, “I’ve been known to be a bit of a mama bear.”

  She would describe her role in the choir as being almost like an older sister to those in Madrigals:“I think I’m someone who a lot of the new members of Mads (Madrigals) can come to if they ever need anything… I’m someone who if they called me at two in the morning and needed me to drive to their house I’d do it. You know, that’s just important to me. I owe a lot to them.”

  For those thinking of joining choir, Allen very enthusiastically encourages them to make that decision. “I think it is one of the most rewarding experiences ever because you are actively working with other people,” she says. She emphasizes this by describing the impact choir can have on your life outside of singing ability, “so you have to be good with teamwork, but it’s also about your own effort and it’s about keeping yourself in check… It’s a super rewarding experience that teaches a lot of important lessons.” And for anyone who might worry that choir kids are super serious people who don’t have time for anything fun, she would like to reassure them that even though the people in Madrigals are serious about their singing they are still some of the most fun and lovable people she has ever met.

  Other than choir, Allen is also a classical pianist with about 12 years of experience under her belt. Piano she describes as one of her passions and she wants to major in piano performance in college. In fact, one of the most impressive facts about her is that this past February she performed at Carnegie Hall playing the piano. She took part in a competition and won first place in the North Carolina category, later being invited to play at the music venue.

While she isn’t quite sure where she wants to go for college yet, she knows that she wants to get her undergraduate degree, graduate degree, and eventually start teaching as a professor in the future. When asked to describe why she was spectacular in thirty seconds or less Allen said, “I think what makes me spectacular is my ability to care about others… I’ve found that even if I’ve had an awful day they deserve a smile and the same respect and attitude that I would want from them as a friend. Being a friend doesn’t really stop when you’re having a bad day. I think that is something I admire about myself: my ability to look past what’s going on in my life for those around me.”