By using the techniques he learned from performing with multiple professional choirs in central Texas, Aaron Coronado hopes to inspire Coppell High School choir members to pursue their dreams.

Coronado comes from Austin where he used to be the director at Cedar Ridge High School and Manor Middle School. Now, he is directing multiple choirs at CHS under the guidance of head choir director, Bona Coogle.

“I know about the wonderful traditions at CHS,” Coronado said. “Coppell has always been on my radar and really it’s just the tradition of excellence that has brought me up here.”

As a singer himself, Coronado has participated in choir since elementary school and still performs outside of school.

“There are just so many wonderful things about choir,” Coronado said. “I find it so edifying to be surrounded with people who can honestly have extremely different backgrounds than you but can come together to make something beautiful. And I think that’s what we create in the choir room everyday — beauty. It’s what I really love.”

Coming from a middle school, Coronado appreciates the level of maturity high schoolers bring to the choir. Students are not only reaching their end goals when it comes to their singing careers, but are also focused and engaged in whatever it is they might be doing — be it from practicing for their next rehearsal to going over their audition music for All-State Choir.

This year, to better facilitate the learning of these dedicated students, Coogle and Coronado have decided to co-teach every choir in the program.

“We are doing everything we can to be engaged with our students and we thought that two minds are better than one, and four ears are better than two,” Coronado said. “So, if both of us can be here, we both will be able to contribute to our students’ success – and that’s what we are going to do.”

So far, choir students have felt the impact of Coronado’s teaching in a positive way.

“Choir has always been one big happy family, but now with the addition of Mr. Coronado, it is even more,” said senior Arezue Shakeri, CHS choir president. “His personality brings so much vibrancy and energy to the choir room. He’s incredibly supportive of all of us. Not only in singing and our choir endeavors, but also outside of class. Mr. Coronado is one of a kind.”

Coronado has sang in a multitude of well recognized choirs including Chorus Austin Symphonic Choir, Chorus Austin Chamber Ensemble, Ars Longa Ensemble, Inversion Ensemble and St. Matt’s Schola Chorus and is well trained in Kodály, a famous approach to music education developed in Hungary.

“I know for a fact that [Coronado] is a great musician and he models alot for the learners,” Coogle said. “Having been trained in a similar style of teaching and having a similar background has helped us really well.”

Coronado hopes to raise the bar for choir students at Coppell and would love to see more students taking part in this amazing program.

“I’ve had a great time for the first few weeks here at Coppell,” Coronado said. “It’s a great community, there’s a wonderful faculty and I’m so glad to be here.”