Every Tuesday and Thursday, engineering sophomore Hiya Chakraborty makes the 30-minute trek from her apartment to the Music Activities Center. Rain or shine, she’s sure to never miss rehearsal for the Reveliers, Texas A&M’s only all-female choir.

Chakraborty entered A&M through the College of Engineering, hyperfocused on her classes and feeling unsure about any extracurricular involvement outside of STEM. After one semester of immersion in academics, she took the leap to audition for choir, hoping to recapture the magic of her music experience in high school.

“Choir has been a really big part of my life since fifth grade,” Chakraborty said. “I didn’t think it was possible to continue any sort of art or sport in college because of the time commitment, but the Reveliers really ended up working out for me.”

The Reveliers is just one of three ensembles on the choir scene at A&M. Along with the Singing Cadets and Century Singers, we form the second-largest university choral program in the nation – and our numbers are still growing, according to David Kipp, director of choral activities.

Kipp leads the men’s choir, the Singing Cadets. As the longtime leader of the choral program at A&M, Kipp’s love for music has only grown stronger throughout his life.

“I sang my first solo at six with my dad, standing on a box at church,” Kipp said. “I never dreamed of coming to Texas A&M, but I realize now, after 30 years, it was absolutely the place that I was supposed to spend my life’s work.”

The Singing Cadets often sing at concerts, major university functions and fundraising events. Though incredibly talented and nationally recognized, the majority of them amazingly aren’t music majors at all.

“The growing popularity of the program is because it meets the needs of many students from many disciplines across campus,” Kipp said. “I think the arts are important for every student, whether they’re performing or enjoying the performance. Music puts you in touch with your emotions on a very deep level.”

As a computer science student, Chakraborty feels that every hour-long rehearsal serves as an interlude from the math and programming-focused courses that take up most of her day, allowing her musical side to shine.

“I’m friends with psychology majors and communication majors in Reveliers, and it’s nice to see other people’s perspectives on life and talk about things other than how my linear algebra class is going,” Chakraborty said.

Jeremy Lande, president of Century Singers, echoed a similar sentiment while pursuing his master’s in public health. When he arrived at A&M in 2020, he was a biomedical sciences major that was convinced any extracurriculars would impede his success in school

“After one and half years of my best friend urging me to join and hearing the Century Singers perform for the first time, I was finally convinced,” Lande said.

Though it can be challenging to manage his two jobs, two leadership positions and graduate degree coursework, Lande wouldn’t have it any other way.

“Music represents a chance to disconnect from academia and fully immerse myself in something completely pleasurable,” Lande said. “In Century Singers, there are members from all walks of life, yet we’re all bonded by our love for music.”

The culture of choir is a unique one and very different from day-to-day academics. The Reveliers bring the festivities by caroling during holiday season, and in February, they can even deliver a “singing valentine” to your date. “Thursday Night Fun Things” — social events like escape rooms or scavenger hunts — is a Century Singers staple tradition, as well as doing outreach performances off-campus and traveling abroad for performance tours. The Singing Cadets even formed a multi-year partnership with the Bush family, serving as special guests for their friends and at events.

Another unexpected tradition is the long-standing pattern of romance between Reveliers and Singing Cadets. As the all-female and all-male choirs, the two groups pair up for formal events, and sometimes, sparks fly. Chakraborty says it’s heartwarming to see new engagement rings pop up on the fingers of her fellow vocalists as the semester goes by.

“We cheer for each other through exams, life changes and personal challenges, and we celebrate one another’s successes,” Lande says. “It’s a group that reminds me daily what it means to be part of the Aggie family.