Starting the 25-26 school year, Mandy Duran has been added to the Naperville North High School Department of Fine-Arts as a co-director of curricular choir and the show choirs.
Duran joined the NNHS staff in hopes of building a community and possibly adding a new acapella group. When asked about what she aspires to bring to Naperville North, Duran responded with optimism about uniting students.
“Alongside community building, […] bringing students together through a shared interest,” Duran said.
Duran grew up singing with family, friends, and the school choir. During this time, she fell in love with music and wanted to help others do the same. In Duran’s first year at North, she is teaching music theory 1 and music production. For the show choirs, she helps run vocal rehearsals while pulling students individually to work on solos, running sectionals, and more.
Duran attended the University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign, studying music education to teach choir. While in college, Duran was in a choir and sang acapella. Before coming to Naperville North, she worked at a middle school in Aurora.
Even though she had never been in a show choir before, she compared it with acapella, mentioning that they both had choreographed movements and involved singing in similar genres like Pop or R&B. She thought that it would be fun to start an acapella group at Naperville North; the group would learn things like vocal percussion and beat boxing along with writing and arranging their own music.
“I’m really excited to be a part of that community and help you guys uplift your values and uplift your ideals, and just to create a family and a welcoming atmosphere for you guys,” Duran stated.
Duran mentioned that she is excited to continue immersing herself in North. She values building relationships and a sense of belonging, which she already sees a strong presence of within the school. An interview with Senior Julia Kozminski, a member of the Naperville North Show Choir Entourage, revealed that Duran already has had a strong start.
“I like how she brings a new level of excitement and energy to rehearsal,” Kozminski shared.
As a senior who has been doing show choir all 4 years, Kozminski has a similar love for music as Duran. She noted how she is thrilled to have an additional director to guide her and her peers towards outstanding performances. Other Entourage seniors, like Natasza Sikora, share Kozminski’s excitement over their new director.
“Her teaching is very engaging, and I find that it keeps me motivated to keep bettering myself in show choir,” Sikora said.
