Music has always been a thing for Caleb Beard.
It all started as a young child when Beard was involved in music and choirs through his church in north Alabama. His mother played the piano and encouraged him. Musicals and plays came in about the fifth grade.
“In the sixth grade I joined the band,” Beard said. “I decided to join the choir at the behest of the previous choir director there and I really, really enjoyed it, but I never saw myself going into it as a profession.”
A few years later Beard found himself in the All State Choir and being encouraged by its clinician.
“He really made me think about this as something I would want to do with my life,” Beard said. “It's my junior year of high school when things kind of clicked, or as a choir path, it did.”
The COVID-19 pandemic struck as Beard was finishing his senior year at Sparkman High School. He realized becoming a professional musician on the stage might not be the best path. But another light bulb went off for Beard as he saw teaching music was his way.
“I really do like teaching this to other people, allowing them to realize their enjoyment of what I enjoy so much,” Beard said. “I like seeing the light turn on in somebody.”
Beard got a scholarship to Mississippi State University. He came to the area as his wife got into graduate school at Faulkner University. Beard did his student teaching at Wetumpka High School last year and applied for the open position at Tallassee High School. He knew about some of the choral traditions at Tallassee High School but has been quickly learning more.
Beard has heard the stories about the school’s choral programs and spoken to Jerry Cunningham, Michael Bird, Kelly Hill and others. He understands the importance of choir at Tallassee, especially the show choirs.
“I see how much they are cherished,” Beard said. “My background is more in traditional choirs but I want to grow with the choirs here. When I grew up, a lot of the schools around me did not do any show choir of any kind.”
Beard likes the idea of honing the craft of the show choirs, the Divas and Voltage and the traditional women’s chorus, concert and chamber choirs. He also likes the idea of Tallassee’s all male show choir Gold Edition. Personally, Beard gets to see the light turn on in many but there are bigger lessons.
“The main thing is just getting them introduced to what we're doing in choir and why we sing,” Beard said. “We sing for a reason. We're getting up and putting a show up there on stage. It may go to a competition and we may get a placement in that competition. But for the majority of it, we want them to be better people and learn to be a part of something bigger than themselves.”
