Jadira Flamm no sham; CHS choir excels

RIO RANCHO – She was the “New and Emerging Teacher” in 2011 and the “Music Educator of the Year” 11 years later as selected by the New Mexico Music Educators Association.

“She” is Jadira Flamm, the choral director at Cleveland High School, where she’s been since the school opened its doors in the summer of 2009.

“I feel very honored,” Flamm said of those honors. “It’s hard work.”

Flamm and her CHS All-State Concert Choir, says Kurt Schmidt, executive director of Fine Arts for Rio Rancho Public Schools, “perform consistently with the greatest musicality and finesse.

“To listen to the (Cleveland concert choir) is to experience superb artistry,” Schmidt added. “This artistry is a direct result of Ms. Flamm’s outstanding pedagogy in the classroom day after day and is a testament to the dedication and hard work of the students.”

It’s not easy to be part of the choir, Flamm said: “This chorus is only by audition or invitation.”

Flamm’s love for music began early: “I always loved music,” she said. “When I was younger, I went to church a lot … most (of the music) was contemporary Christian music, (and) I was always inspired by Celine Dion; her musicianship.”

In Flamm’s words, from her Facebook post shortly after the performance, “What an incredible experience! Words cannot express how blessed I feel for being able to perform today. I am incredibly proud of my students. They sang their hearts out.”

There are 31 students in the Honor Choir, which performed six selections and got a standing ovation upon completion of its Jan. 12 performance at Popejoy Hall in Albuquerque. Schools had to submit recordings for the NMMEA to judge which great high school choir would be chosen.

Here’s what they performed: “Laudate Dominum” by Dan Davison; “For the Beauty of the Earth” by John Rutter; “Northern Lights” by Ola Gjeilo; “Fire” by Katerina Gimon; “Heave Away, Me Jollies,” arranged by Jill Gallina; and “Apple Tree,” arranged by Katerina Gimon.

That reaction from an audience of more than 2,500 “was genuine,” says Jordan Gomez, the choir’s president. She and the VP, fellow senior Devin Griego, plan to attend college next year.

The two thoroughly enjoyed all the work that went into their evening on stage, even though they have other roles in the community: Jordan is a varsity cheerleader and coaches the cheer squad at Rio Rancho Middle School; Devin is devoting time to getting stronger and participating in powerlifting for the Storm.

Flamm’s always been a singer, mostly in church. She’s a vocalist and piano player with a Christian group, “The Matthew Project.”

She obtained her undergraduate degree in music at New Mexico State, not far from her home in Sunland Park, and followed that with a master’s degree in music education at the University of New Mexico.

“I always knew that I loved music,” she said. “Once I got to college, I knew that I wanted to teach music, for sure.”

She hopes her love for music and singing extends to her students, which it did at the Popejoy performance.

“Signing is terrifying … (but it can) build confidence and esteem,” she said. “The art of the process was to prepare them. I explained the process multiple times. We actually started on the music in August, so that way we would have enough time to learn all the parts, learn all the music and also add some flairs and choreography and cool entertainment aspects so it flowed cohesively – and also make it fun for the students.

“I think that really helped them prepare mentally, emotionally and musically.”

Flamm picked most of the music to be used, she said, although some “student input came into play – not every song works for every group, and so you have to do what’s best for the kids.”

All in all, Flamm said, “It was amazing because it was a good collaboration and it allowed us to find more artistry in the performances. Becky (Talbott) served as a piano player and a mentor … (she) guided me and the students.”

In 2015, Talbott led the RRHS Honor Choir onto the Popejoy stage at the NMMEA event, so she knows what goes into staging a successful performance.

“Jadira Flamm is an outstanding music educator. I have known her as a colleague and a friend for nearly 15 years,” Talbott said. “Her commitment to enriching the lives of her students while not compromising the quality of the music she teaches is inspiring.

“Having directed an NMMEA All-State Honor Choir several years ago, I was thrilled when Jadira asked me to play piano for her students. Watching them work through the process of selecting and programming the music, learning the notes and polishing the musicality of the program was absolutely delightful. RRPS is lucky to have such a stellar choral educator at Cleveland High School.”

Next for Flamm and the Honor Choir, she said, is “preparing for our music performance assessment event, which is where they sing for judges … and we’re also prepping for NMAA choir contest in April at Cleveland.”

“Everybody sounds great in the shower,” Flamm joked. “I think singing’s never going to go out of style. As a music teacher, I’ve just had to adjust to the interests that the kids may have, and still give them an opportunity to appreciate the history that comes behind it and expose them to different types of singing. As I get older, I realize it’s much more important to give them an experience that gives them an opportunity to be famous.”