Matthew Hanzel

Earlier last week, I celebrated a major, yet subtle milestone. This is my eleventh consecutive years of participating in my high school choir—to put it another way, this year is my tenth anniversary participating in the choir. It was marked by a Sunday service at one of the major churches in Jakarta.

For the past ten years, I always think that my career in this choir is complete. Why? I think I have participated in all kinds of events imaginable. Extracurricular demonstrations, trainings, competitions from the smallest levels to international ones, weddings, funerals, birthdays, Sunday services, Christmas celebrations, performances at shopping centers, I have done them all.

I think in a sense I feel proud and humbled, that I spend a third of the choir’s age (the choir celebrates its thirtieth anniversary this year) with me being there, participating actively at least once.

This is a choir that has taught me so much. How to deal with people. How to train people. How to motivate people. How to instill belief that you can do it. How to have faith in winning. How to strive for the best. How to arrange for events. All the choral techniques. Much, much more. And I learn more than just music, I learn a lot about life.

I look forward to join them in more events this year and more to come. I may be too old for a high school choir, but I think I can still make contribution to them.

To Smukiez Choir, the ever great choir. Thank you for having me for the past ten years. I think I learn so much, even more than perhaps what I can give back to all of you. I hope I can still give many more to you. Winning things, and having fun while doing it.

Thirty years in making people sing, and I am grateful to be a part of ten of them.