AudioVox: A Family That Happens to Sing

Audiovox members pose for a picture in front of the Biloxi Mississippi beach. “I'm just really excited for the future just because you know, how much ambition [Mr. Lancaster] has and that rubs off on us. And he's put in so much effort,” said Emma Price. Photo credits: Mr. Lancaster.

Jax Marsh, Staff Writer for The Powderhorn

AudioVox, Watauga High School’s competitive a cappella group, took a trip down to Biloxi, Mississippi, to compete in the International Championship of High School A Cappella (ICHSA). This was the first time that anyone from the Watauga choral program ventured to an a capella competition such as this one. The skilled group of 13 singers left on Thursday, March 5, at 4:30 a.m. to compete 14 hours away from Boone. These students embarked on their journey both excited and nervous to compete against other talented a capella groups.

AudioVox members have dedicated 5 to 10 hours a week all throughout the school year to perfect their craft. This became a time-consuming out of school commitment considering AudioVox does not have a block class. The long hours of rehearsal brought these students together, forming a community that feels like a family rather than an a capella group. 

“We all had to come together to the decision that this is going to require us to make sacrifices and we have to make this our priority,” sophomore Emma Price said. “And I'm so glad that everybody decided that this was going to be their priority.”

AudioVox has become a tight-knit group built off the faith they have in each other. This trust allows for a high level of productivity that is unique to this group of singers.

“I think that also creates a level of trust between us, like I trust you to have your part and to not rely on other people and to be responsible for your own part--- and I trust that you're a good enough musician,” said Price. “And so I think there's just a level of confidence and efficiency that's able to get done because of that, and it was hard at first, but we were really able to trust each other that we're going to do the best we can with our parts.”

The AudioVox group of 2025-2026 is an a capella group whose members were selected based on their preparedness, effort, and commitment to the audition process. The hard work and focus of these students provided them with the opportunity to attend ICHSA. They hope that their dedication will set a precedent for the future of AudioVox.

“I was so excited that we're actually going to get to do this because we talked about how we wanted to do this, but it was like okay, are we going to make it a reality?” said senior Levi Anderson.“The moment we decided that we are going to make it a reality it was like okay- we're ready.”

Just like every other competitive activity, practicing too much can cause obsession with perfection as well as increased anxiety for performers. This group is especially aware of that possibility and has taken steps to ensure that this won’t affect their performance.

“But finding that balance- obviously we don't want to get to the point where we're burnt out because we're so focused on the itty-bitty details,” said Anderson. 

Having a dedicated teacher with a trained eye for students who are overworking themselves has also been beneficial for the students.

“Mr. Lancaster is really good at noticing that because we haven't really done a lot of rehearsals in the last week,” added junior Sophie Helms.

AudioVox is led by their director Mr. Lancaster, an experienced singer who has been to these competitions before in his own choral groups. He brings passion, skill, and knowledge with him and is able to help this a capella group in a multitude of ways. Mr. Lancaster has not been teaching at Watauga for a long time, but he has already made a lasting impact on the choral program and, most importantly, his students.

“He's super smart. He knows what they're looking for, and he's good in the way that he doesn't make us feel bad when we know that we're not doing great,” said Helms. “He just shows us what we could do better, which is great because I think sometimes directors focus on the bad only, and that's not what people need sometimes.”

Mr. Lancaster is more than just a teacher to this group of students. He invests a lot into them both emotionally and physically. Mr. Lancaster bought the group equipment such as mics to help them practice for this competition. Students describe him as selfless, kind, and someone who is truly passionate about his job.

“He goes above and beyond his job description. He doesn’t have to support all of our sometimes crazy dream.  I feel like this is just such a big thing. He was there for us to help us make it happen and make our dreams a reality,” said Price. “He's so supportive and it's not just us doing the work. I feel like without him we really would not even be close to where we are now. He cares about us individually and he holds the same passion for this as we do— maybe more.”

Mr. Lancaster is there for his students through thick and thin. His dedication to them, and singing itself is evident through how much work he puts into helping them become better singers and better people.

“The hard times where we're struggling with the music, or we're feeling burnt out or discouraged, still, those are times where we learn to trust him more and trust each other,” said Price, “and he doesn't just abandon us to solve that for ourselves. He's actively helping us through that.”

The bubbly and inviting personality of Mr. Lancaster has made him a quick favorite of students in the choral department. This makes for an enjoyable experience in the safe space that Mr. Lancaster has created in the choir room.

“I mean, it's sort of like a big family,” said Helms.