Erick Price is CHS’ new choir director. He teaches classes such as, music theory, chamber choir, concert choir and show choir.

Q: What is your past experience in the music directing business?

A: “I have been teaching in high school for five years. Previous to that I was in theater management in New York City, and talent management for a couple of years. I spent around seven years in New York City doing musical theater and opera performance, so I did a lot of regional shows, couple of national tours, and some smaller things in New York City. I was a resident artist at an opera company for a year in Milwaukee right after college and my degrees are a bachelor’s in music and voice performance and a master’s in music education and choral music.”

Q: Why did you decide you wanted to teach at CHS?

A: “Because it’s a great school, I live in the area and I’ve always heard a lot of good things about the students and the programs here, so I just wanted to be part of this team.”

Q: What has been the best part so far of teaching at CHS?

A: “The students. I’ve had a really good time working with the students so far. They’re a lot of fun.”

Q: What has been the most difficult part of teaching at CHS?

A: “I got to be honest, there has been like nothing difficult about this process yet. It’s gone so smoothly, and I felt like the students have all been ready to work for me, even as a new teacher, right away. All of my co-workers are very supportive. Maybe the toughest part is that there are three new music teachers this year. So out of the program Mr. Henderson is new and the middle school choir teacher is new as well, so I don’t the advantage of having someone who is a vocal teacher who’s been working in the district for a while to kind of learn certain things from. That’d be about it.”

Q: How is Clayton/CHS different than other districts you’ve taught?

A: “Well there is a lot more trust here of the students then there is at other schools. Your freedom with the open campus, whether it be for lunch or just a break, and being able to be in the halls without passes or supervision, they really trust the students here to make good decisions.”

Q: Is there anything else I forgot to ask that you would like to talk about?

A: “Only that it’s fun to be here with new students and kind of present things in a different light and start new traditions and a new way of viewing the choir department here at this school.”