A maestro in multiple ways

High school isn’t always the place where students feel comfortable being themselves or opening up their personal lives to their teachers, but in Marina High School’s Viking Choir, students said, that isn’t the case.

In Eric Graham’s advanced choir class, some students said it is a place they feel comfortable being themselves, and the experience has left some wanting to continue making music beyond high school.

Graham came to Marina High School four years ago to direct the choir program after years of the school not having one. The program started with less than a dozen kids showing up on the first day in a portable that was the classroom while construction was going on. Students sat on folding chairs, Graham played a keyboard, and he had to ask his students to bring their friends to fill the class, he said.

As word got out and Graham continued promoting his program, it grew to three choirs, the advanced choir and an advanced women’s ensemble, for which students must try out. The students competed in the Golden State Choral Competition and sang at Carnegie Hall during a trip to New York this month, Graham said.

They now have their own room with a black baby grand piano in the front and black-and-white pictures of Kurt Cobain, Jim Morrison, Elvis Presley and Tupac Shakur staring down at the them as they sing.

A handful of students in the advanced choir class have stuck with the program from day one and have seen the program and themselves grow.

“I’ve grown musically, and I know I’ve seen others grow musically,� said senior Kyle Breedlove, 17, who started in the program his freshman year.

When he first got into the program, he said, it was a lot to take in, but it has turned into a great experience that he wants to continue indefinitely.

“My love for music has grown. It’s what I want to do with my life now,� he said.

Graham has grown into a father figure for many in the class, helping them both musically and personally, students said. Coming to him for advice about life or their musical careers, many of the students have formed bonds with Graham.

With graduate looming for the handful of students who have stuck with the program from day one, leaving the program and Graham is going to be sad — for both parties

“I’m sad to see them go, but also anxious to see what the future holds,� Graham said.

The future, at least for Kyle, might hold something similar to what he has now — Kyle said Graham has inspired him to become a choir teacher.

“This choir has changed my life in so many ways,� Kyle said. “I want to share what I’ve learned here and create this environment somewhere else.�