Students from the North Thurston High School choir program participated in a Solo & Ensemble performance on Wednesday, January 22, 2025, at the Koval Center in Lacey. The performance was in preparation for February competitions and spring concerts. Forty-eight students participated, making it the largest the school has had.
The choir program at North Thurston has four choirs with over 100 students in the program. The director, Caitlin Van Zee, has been teaching at North Thurston High School for 12 years, after five years at Chinook Middle School in Lacey. “We have a non-auditioned treble choir, a non-auditioned tenor/bass choir, an auditioned concert chorale, and an auditioned jazz choir,” Zee noted when asked about her program. “This year’s solo and ensemble groups include the most our program has had and that is exciting for our program and is a result of fundraising and receiving grants.”
In addition to teaching for North Thurston Public Schools Zee also is teaching the Coro Voce Choir with the Olympia Youth Chorus.
The Solo & Ensemble prep concert allows students to have a performance under their belt, and to understand how they perform under stress, allowing a week to grow as a musician and performer before their first real competition. Students are preparing for the Solo & Ensemble CMEA region event coming on Saturday, February 1, 2025, at Timberline High School.
The Chinook Music Educators (CMEA) region encompasses the west side of the state from Olympia to the coast. Schools are invited to come perform for an adjudicator and receive feedback. The winners of each category are then able to compete at State Solo & Ensemble at Central Washington University in April.
Zee invites the community to enjoy spring concerts held March 6. “The North Thurston Choir strives to create a welcoming community for students to be a part of, where they feel safe and supported to be themselves,” she said. “We work hard with our music, challenging all students to grow as musicians and to learn about being a part of a team.”
North Thurston School District concerts are listed on the arts calendar, featuring music, drama and choir from North Thurston, Timberline and River Ridge high schools.




















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