Kahlel Palmer at MHSAA State Contest in Columbia, Mo. | Photo courtesy of Scott Kinworthy

Julia Williams

Editor-in-Chief

In a room within Memorial Student Union at the University of Missouri in Columbia Mo., one Northeast High School senior performed at the MSHSAA State Music Festival for the last time. 

On Saturday, May 3, Kahlel Palmer — and Northeast High School Choral Director Scott Kinworthy — sat playing Geometry Dash, awaiting the results of a two-song solo, which included one Italian and one German piece. 

After actively refreshing the website page that would hold the results from the performance — they were in, confirming that Palmer had received an Exemplary Rating — or a Gold medal — for the second year in a row. 

“When I saw my score for the first time, I just thought ‘Oh my gosh,’” Palmer said in an interview, Thursday. “I did it after all my hard work.”

Palmer began his choral journey when he was in middle school and shared he felt really at home in the environment. For the past two years, he has qualified for districts — a competition event, which was at Grain Valley High School this year — and remained the only student at Northeast High School to qualify for the State Contest in Columbia, Mo. — receiving an exemplary rating both years. 

“Our school doesn’t have a great reputation, I felt like I was doing a really good thing and bringing something to the table,” Palmer said. “I felt like I was doing something good for Northeast.”

While his first year competing, Palmer shared, he felt more nervous and out of place in the State performance, this year he had more confidence and could tell his hard work had paid off.

When deciding songs for the  State performance, he said some students will choose pieces in English and others will choose ones in other languages. However, students are required to select two pieces that have contrasting styles. The reasoning behind his selections this year, he shared, were the range they allowed him to explore. This included helping him to stretch his vocal chords with their crescendos (a gradually increasing sound), which he shared he is able to reach as a Tenor. 

“I just really love performing,” Palmer said in an interview, Thursday. “I love being able to use my voice to make music fun. When you do it right, you can enjoy it all your life. Choir is like a team; It’s really fun to build a community with people who care about the same things you do.”

In the fall, Palmer plans to attend the University of Central Missouri (UCM) in Warrensburg Mo., to study music production with a minor in musical theatre. He additionally hopes to become a musical artist in the future and to make money as a musician. 

Palmer will continue his vocal path in UCM’s choir department through a scholarship he has received. 

“All I have achieved, I couldn’t have done it without the people around me,” Palmer said. “Mr. Kinworthy, the ladies from the [Viking Village] pantry helping me get clothes and transportation, I don’t think I would have made it.” 

While Northeast High School has had a choir program off and on throughout its 110 years in operation, Kinworthy shared this is his sixth year with the vocal music program as the choir director. Prior to Kinworthy, he said the school faced challenges keeping a choral director to run the program. 

Kinworthy started around the time of the Covid-19 pandemic and returned to teach students in-person the following year. The program is now in its fourth consistent year and had 35 students participate this year.

He shared he does not hold auditions for the choir program and rather, just has one requirement for students: kindness. 

“They have to be nice, everything else I can teach,” Kinworthy shared in an interview, Thursday. “I can’t teach them to be nice; It affects everything we do.”

Kinworthy comes from an extensive vocal music background having participated in his high school and college choirs. He shared he is currently in his 25th year as an educator and previously taught in St. Louis before transferring to Northeast.

This year, another student from the Northeast High School choir program participated in the district contest in Grain Valley, along with Palmer. However, this student did not advance to the State contest. 

“It’s very rewarding,” Kinworthy said in reference to Palmer’s State finish. “I think Kahlel competing has inspired others to start thinking about it. I hope to keep the tradition alive and for more kids to be interested [in State].”

And Palmer’s performance, Kinworthy shared, has already begun to impact other choir students at Northeast — increasing the overall program morale and passion for the art. 

“Before, the kids didn’t know what sounded good and what didn’t sound good,” Kinworthy said in an interview. “Now, before I can tell them, they already know; It’s very rewarding.”