Raquel Payne

Favorite moment

Meeting Eric Whitacre and being able to perform with him. I still am in contact with most of my friends from choir and I absolutely adore them.

Since I left GOHS, my life.....

I’ve been volunteering in Ghana as a teacher and studied a year at the University of Ghana learning about African music and now I’m Studying at Berklee College of Music

How did you discover singing?

My parents would sing in my church choir when I was a kid and it made me want to sing in a choir. Then in Fourth grade my choir teacher asked me to be part of a city choir performance and after that I really just loved singing.

How are you still involved in music?

I study music at Berklee College of music so I’m constantly learning new things about the music business and taking technique classes. I also play guitar and sing for my church band and youth events

If you can talk to your high school self now, what would you have said?

Never stop doing vocal warmups 😂 I really wish when I left choir into my third year of highschool that I would have continued practicing my vocal warmups because my voice was still changing and it was hard to adjust to my voice now. I wish I really had put more effort into my music I could have been a lot farther than I am today. When I was consistent I had a really good fan base on twitter but then I stopped and now I’m starting all over

Last thought?

I really loved taking choir and the friendships I made in it. It was so fun for me and I really appreciate all the advice Mr.Park would give to me. It made me work and focus more on myself to become a better person, choose more friends, and try different styles of music