Ringgold High School student Daniel Moore, left, is the first RHS student to be accepted to Governor’s Honors in the choral program. His teacher, choral instructor Kevin Moore, is happy that Daniel made the cut.Ringgold High School junior Daniel Moore is the first student from RHS to advance to Governor’s Honors in the choral program.
“I was nominated by a teacher, then I went through an interview, an online application and I sent in a video. If they accept you past then, it’s a face-to-face [interview],” he said in regards to the program for gifted and talented high schoolers.
Acceptance means he will get to reside at Valdosta State University this summer from June 19 through July 16 and participate in “academic, cultural, and social enrichment necessary to become the next generation of global critical thinkers, innovators, and leaders,” according to the program’s website. Moore plans to major in vocal performance and minor in communicative arts.
“I’m just really honored to get to do this for the first time,” he said. “Other Ringgold students have gone to GHP, but not for vocal. I’m honored to go study with the best of the best.”
He said he was nominated as an alternate last year for Governor’s Honors, but this year he made the cut.
“It’s exciting,” said Moore. “Music is definitely the most important part of my life. I don’t think I could be successful in anything else. I focus on my voice. I do community theater. I took field trips to the Colonnade growing up, so I started doing plays and musicals and that led into being interested in music. You can tell a story to change the world through a song. You can use art to change people’s minds and improve everything. My personal favorite way of doing that is through music. I listen to country, pop, classical, R & B, blues and jazz.”
Moore started out in the choral program at Graysville Elementary School, sticking with it at Ringgold Middle School and now at RHS.
“I will go to college to study music education [after graduation],” he said. “I’ve been in school choirs most of my life. And I’m excited to expand my knowledge through Governor’s Honors.”
Moore moved to Ringgold from Birmingham, Ala., when he was in kindergarten. He said he plans to stay in Georgia and one day teach high school chorus like his RHS chorus instructor Kevin Moore, no relation. He also takes private voice lessons from Terry Sanford.
“Just being nominated to Governor’s Honors is a huge honor,” Daniel Moore said. “Kevin and Terry helped me get where I am today. The Ringgold High School Chorus just returned from a competition. We got superior ratings. We will have a spring concert around May.”
While singing is one of the most important thing in Moore’s life, he said it doesn’t distract him from what is an important aspect in any student’s life: studying.
“It’s always been grades first,” he said. “I was recently added to the Governance Board of Ringgold High School. I will get to make the students’ voices heard. Any concern that the students have, I can bring it to the board. That way we can make sure and get things done for the school students. This is all because I have a loving and supportive family that pushes me. They encourage me to work hard and go for it.”