BHS choir director says senior is a natural leader and musician

Brainerd High School senior Izabelle Baysinger poses for a photographed screenshot while holding her choir music sheet. Baysinger was named this week's Fine Arts Student of the Week for her work in A Cappella Choir and Windfall. Jennifer Kraus / Brainerd Dispatch

By Jennifer Kraus

December 07, 2020 at 3:15 AM

Izabelle Baysinger

Grade: Senior.

Age: 17.

Art focus: Brainerd High School Choir.

Adviser nomination: “Izabelle Baysinger is a natural leader and musician. She is quick to learn her parts and leads her alto section with confidence. Izabelle stays positive, and when things get tough, she digs in and works. She is a success because she made it happen, and the whole choir is better because of her work. Izzy made the Minnesota All State Choir this year and sings in A Cappella and Windfall.”

Memorable fine arts achievement: Making Minnesota All State Choir.

Artist most admired: Kevin Yagher, an American special effects technician.

Other BHS fine arts activities: Theater.

What do you enjoy most about choir? I like when everyone comes together to create this amazing sound. It makes other people feel a certain way and it’s from us (the choir) to them (the audience). I like being able to portray an emotion that way that isn't just speaking it's more personal.

Does singing come easy for you? I've been singing probably my whole life, but I really started to like it in second grade when we had a talent show. I went up and sang “Somewhere Over the Rainbow,” and all the judges were clapping and I was like, “This is fun. I think I sound good, and I get praised.”

I sing everywhere in the choir room, my car, anywhere I can. I love to sing, especially when I’m feeling a certain way like if I’m feeling very passionate about something, either sad or happy or whatever, just being able to sing through it.

Baysinger E-edition — Brainerd High School senior Izabelle Baysinger poses for a photograph while holding her choir music sheet. Baysinger was named this week's Fine Arts Student of the Week for her work in A Cappella Choir and Windfall. Jennifer Kraus / Brainerd Dispatch

How do you stay positive in choir, especially now? Well, I guess it's just because choir makes me happy. It's easier for me to stay positive when I'm doing things like singing and being in the (Google) Meets with all of my peers and stuff. So even in a pandemic that's something that's a light for me and it makes me happy so I can make other people happy if I'm positive to them, so that's nice.

What’s your schedule like? I went Monday-Tuesday for choir (before the distance learning was enacted) and then Wednesday-Thursday-Friday online. We actually got to sing but we have new masks. (Brian Stubbs) bought us all new masks for singing specifically so they'll actually help to keep the bacteria or whatever out. And then (going fully) online, we mostly just do a Google Meet to talk about what we're doing for warmups. Nobody has their microphones on. ... It is too bad that we can't sing together. He'll give us a recording for us to sing with and we’ll send recordings to him. So that's what we've been doing.

It's kind of weird when you listen to a full piece because of the way he records. He plays your specific part on the piano and then you record yourself with it. So when you're listening to the piece it’s like these … chords and wonderful piano playing and everything and then you're just singing here a couple notes here and there.

How do you stay positive with your classes while studying at home? I just try to think of it as we are in a time right now, this is how it has to be, so might as well be positive through it. There's no point in being negative when it's not going to change anything. That's my philosophy. If it's not gonna change there's no sense in worrying about it.

Dream job: Forensic pathology. I've always liked the psychology side of things in the criminal justice field, but I'm kind of too scared to be like a police officer. I also have a great interest in human biology and anatomy. So, by being a forensic pathologist, I can go into that criminology field by solving these violent and unexplained deaths and catching murderers, without putting myself in as much danger.

Favorite movie: “The Lobster.”

Favorite TV show: “Dexter.”

Favorite book: “In Order To Live,” by Maryanne Vollers and Park Yeon-mi.

Favorite song: “Goodie Bag,” by Still Woozy.

Favorite band: Djo.

Favorite restaurant: Olive Garden.

Favorite subject: Psychology.

Perfect meal: Lobster mac and cheese.

Biggest pet peeve: White lies.

Sports/clubs: Theater, Math League and Warrior Tutors.

Hobbies: Painting, sculpting, visual arts, longboarding and makeup.

Grandparents: Patty and Brad Baysinger of Brainerd.