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Teen forgoes downtime to pursue passion for music

By Rachel Foor 7 min read

MARTINSBURG -- For music fanatic Connor Hummel, there is no such thing as downtime -- between finishing his senior year at Central High School, running his own alteration business and practicing various musical pieces, almost every minute of his day is spoken for.

This has been especially true since Hummel was selected to participate in the The National Association for Music Education's 2023 All Eastern Choir running from April 13 to 16. Encompassing Washington, D.C., the European Union and the 11 states from Maryland to Maine, the All Eastern Choir will take place in Rochester, New York, with Hummel being one of up to 15 people chosen from Pennsylvania to attend.

"I think it's great, for nationals -- it's a big deal," Central High School music teacher Janelle Parker said. "All East is a bigger deal; it's really based on what you've done in all the (Pennsylvania Music Educators Association) festivals."

Students audition for nationals by submitting a video of themselves singing, Parker said, while being selected for All East depends on if the student made it to districts, regionals and states.

"They prefer kids that have gone to states twice," Parker said. "Connor has sat very well, he's gone to states two years in a row."

Rising through the ranks

Hummel has always been a music enthusiast, even going so far as to quit chorus in middle school because he felt the other students didn't take it seriously.

"People just goofed off," Hummel said. "And I'm just like, I don't want to be in a room with people who aren't sharing (the enthusiasm)."

Hummel rejoined chorus his freshman year, as it was then a scheduled elective that had to be specifically chosen.

"Mrs. Parker still bullies me to this day," Hummel said, laughing.

Since then, Hummel has gone on to perform in district, regional, state and national choirs. To get into district chorus, Hummel said you have a blind audition in front of a panel of judges, who then select the top 24 singers in each voice -- soprano, alto, tenor and bass.

Of those 24 in each voice, 12 move to regionals, of which four go on to states, Hummel said. To go to nationals, students submit a video audition, and judges choose anywhere from one to five people from each state to participate. Then, the top singers from nationals are picked to go to All East.

While singers can go to nationals twice, they have one shot to go to All East, Hummel said, as it only takes place every two years.

"The people who run All East are like, 'oh my gosh, it's so much work,'" Hummel said. "So we're gonna do it every two years. But nationals is like, 'no, we need to have this, so it's gonna go every single year.'"

During his first year at district, regional and state choir and district jazz, Hummel sat second chair, which is given to who the conductor considers to be the second best singer or player in a section. He also sat second chair last year for district jazz, district and regional choir, while he sat fifth chair for state choir.

This year, however, he sat first chair in everything.

"Connor is a really focused, hard worker with a really good work ethic," Parker said. "He goes 100% forward with it -- that's one of his strong characteristics. He's a good singer in general, but he also works hard to be a great singer."

Parker said she'd never had a student apply for nationals until Hummel told her that he wanted to go. With no funding from the district to attend, it was something you had to be sure about, she said.

"They're not easy situations," Parker said. "When we go to regionals and festivals, they have to audition many, many times."

Hummel even goes so far as to study voice privately with Parker, usually outside the school day or in the morning.

"It's a major challenge," Parker said about preparing for musical events. "Overall, he's a reliable, responsible kid."

But wait, there's more

Hummel hasn't limited himself to just one creative outlet. In between school and practicing vocals, he's learning how to play the tuba, alto saxophone and piano, acting as the Central High School marching band's drum major, singing in the Johnstown Symphony Orchestra Choir, working as the executive drum major for the Keystone Regiment senior Drum and Bugle Corps, teaching swimming lessons and acting as a lifeguard at the YMCA and running his alteration business, Connor Hummel Alterations.

"I don't like downtime," Hummel said. "Can you tell?"

Like music, Hummel said he'd always loved sewing. He started with his grandmother, the pair making blankets together. The first thing he actually created was a tank top one summer in middle school.

"I wanted a tank top," Hummel said. "And I didn't want to buy one, so I was like, 'I can make that.' So I made one. That was the crappiest thing I've ever seen, but I made one."

Hummel learned more about alterations and sewing from his cousin Jennifer Miller, a full-time seamstress who owns Jenn's Alterations and Sewing in Saxton.

Miller said Hummel had expressed an interest in formal dress alterations about two years ago, and she showed him the basics.

"He's a quick learner and picked up on it right away," Miller said.

Working mostly on prom dresses, he also dabbles in weddings and costumes.

To keep up with all of his activities, Hummel said he has his "calendar of shame."

"I wrote, I need to learn measure 12 to measure 40," Hummel said. "Tonight, I need to learn measure 52 to 58. Tonight, I need to learn the German pronunciation for piece number two."

If he has all of his schoolwork done, Hummel said his goal is to practice one to two hours a night, breaking up his tasks in small increments.

"I aim to just break it up into little increments like, do scales, five-minute break, sing an Italian piece, five-minute break, back to piano play, five-minute break, click back to voice," Hummel said.

Looking ahead

Hummel's dream job would be working at a university as its director of choral activities, which would put him in charge of determining course curriculum and who conducts what choir, while conducting the highest level choirs himself.

He's already taken a step closer to achieving that goal by committing to Ball State University, a college about 60 miles northeast of Indianapolis, for music education. With Ball State being in the top three and top five schools in the country for conducting and music education, respectively, Hummel plans on getting a master's in either conducting or vocal performance. Then, he intends to get his doctorate in choral conducting.

To get into Ball State, Hummel said he had to sing an Italian piece, an English piece and a French piece along with taking a piano, oral and music theory test.

"Other than doctor or medical degrees, music education degrees, specifically, are the second-largest course load degrees," Hummel said, adding that he'd have to take between 16 and 20 credits a semester.

Hummel said he'd also like to keep up with costuming and alterations on the side, as it was a good source of income.

"The art of alterations is really getting lost," Hummel said. "So if you are somebody who can do it -- you can do it well -- you'll get people."

When asked what advice he would give younger people that were interested in following in his footsteps, Hummel said it's 50% practice and 50% water.

"Water is your friend," Hummel said, laughing.

Mirror Staff Writer Rachel Foor is at 814-946-7458.

The Hummel File

Name: Connor Hummel

Age: 18

Residence: Roaring Spring

Family: Parents, Jacque and Robert Hummel; younger brother, Logan Hummel; grandparents, Don and Carl Hamilton and Bob and Margie Baker; uncle, Christopher Hamilton and a "very strong extended family support network."

Education: Central High School; Ball State University music education (next year)

Employment: Lifeguard for Blair Regional YMCA, Connor Hummel

Alterations

Activities: Johnstown Symphony Orchestra Choir, Keystone Regiment senior Drum and Bugle Corps, band/choir/marching band for high school, Pennsylvania Music Educators Association and National Association for Music Education choir festivals/competitions, voice and piano lessons

Starting at /week.