Always busy and deeply involved, Sienna Katzenberg has spent four years at Yorktown High School singing in the choir and photographing every school musical, Choral Director Andrea Stock said.
Yorktown News caught up with Katzenberg as she prepares to enter her next chapter and reflects on how music has shaped her growing up.
When did your interest in singing and the theatre arts begin? I began to be interested in singing/music/acting when I was very young, probably around 4 or 5 years old. However, I began dancing when I was 2 years old at a local dance school. I was always surrounded by music, and it has always made me happy. My love for music also began with my dad because he exposed me to all different types of music, such as The Beatles. I also performed in school musicals as well as summer musicals at theater camp throughout elementary and middle school.
Do you plan to continue singing or the theatre arts after high school? I plan to continue singing after high school by joining an a cappella group in college. I have always wanted to join one, and I think it would be a great way to make new friends and surround myself with people who also love music as much as I do! Additionally, I might join a college chorus, so that way I can continue to sing challenging pieces. I was selected to participate in NYSSMA Area All-State two times throughout high school, where I was challenged musically and had the opportunity to sing with so many dedicated musicians. I would love to have more opportunities like that in college. I don't think that I will be majoring or minoring in music, but I am open to taking some music classes if I am able to.
Who inspires you? My mom and my papa (grandpa) inspire me. My papa inspires me because of his perseverance and strength, and his ability to show kindness and love to everyone he meets. Musically, my mom has always been inspiring to me and made me want to begin singing because she used to sing to me as a kid. She is the reason I started doing musical theatre. Unfortunately, due to the vast time commitment that sports and musical theatre take up, I had to choose to only do one of them, and I chose sports. Thankfully, however, I am back in some performing arts activities after school. I joined my school's dance company, and I performed in this year's school musical, “The Wizard of Oz.” Luckily, I was able to be a member of my school's chorus for the last four years, and it has been one of the best experiences. I am grateful that I have been able to keep singing!
What makes singing challenging? I would say that one of the hardest parts of singing is breath control, vowels, and diction. These aspects, although slight, make all the difference in the strength of the chorus to convey the song to the audience.
Which teacher has been especially influential to you in your singing or artistic pursuits? Ms. Stock, my chorus teacher, is a teacher who has especially inspired me in my artistic pursuits. Every day, I look forward to attending her class, and she has done an amazing job of teaching me how to better understand music. I have been taught how to grow my range vocally through her technique of exposing students to a wide variety of pieces. I love how she points out aspects of music, such as diction and vowels, because they are so important in musical technique, and I have been able to develop my tone as a singer because of her.
How do you spend your free time? In my free time, I play club softball, and I am also on my school's Varsity softball team. Additionally, I enjoy running, and I am on the cross-country team. I also enjoy spending my time doing art and photography.
What are the top five songs on your playlist? “Busy Woman” by Sabrina Carpenter, “Intro (end of the world) - extended version” byAriana Grande, “Nobody's Son” by Sabrina Carpenter, “Sports Car” by Tate McRae
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