For many, summer is a time where days comprise of poolside lounging, mall hangouts or jet setting from one vacation destination to another. However for vocal junior Noah Gunn, summer was just another opportunity to test his musical capabilities to their fullest extent and in turn did so through attending Florida State University’s Summer Choral Solo and Ensemble Camp.

“I was eager to attend this program because Florida State has an amazing music program, and I went last year and loved it,” Gunn said.

Going into the weeklong program, Gunn had merely hoped to meet new people and work on building upon his skills as a singer.

“[On a typical day at the program] the mornings start with mixed choir and warm-ups, and then we would break into sectionals based off of voice parts, where I was part of the Tenor sectional,” Gunn said. “We then had our first elective, men’s choir rehearsal, lunch, mixed choir, our second elective, and after all of those a small ensemble.”

The program not only allowed Gunn to explore different types of music via the small ensembles, but also enabled him to make connections with other singers his age from all around the country.

“Through this program, I learned how to better improve my range and quality of tone in my voice,” Gunn said. “Along with also managing to learn how to tame my stage fright when performing solo in front of a large audience, which has always tended to stand in my way.”