DHS teacher Ali Moravsky has a great passion for her developing singing talent. Moravsky started singing ten years ago, but she would only sing in the shower and in her car like most people. She claims that it was mostly for herself and that as her deep love for music increased, it became a talent. Her first small performance was six or seven years ago at a vow renewal ceremony, and four years ago, she joined a band. 

“I started singing in a band probably four years ago,” Moravsky said. “It was a bunch of like music teachers, and they all were so gifted, guitar, piano, drums, saxophone like it was a very different type of jazzy band and nobody wanted to sing, and so they had reached out to me, and we started doing like little events here and there.”

Singing with a band is exciting and fun, but Moravsky prefers singing with a guitarist to have a stronger sense of communication and connection. Also, while singing with the band, she has to be in control of many people, which can become challenging. In contrast, Moravsky can have more flexibility and freedom with a guitarist. Though in the end, what truly matters is being able to deliver a song with soul and emotion behind it. 

“I think my best performing experience was an open mic with my guitarist,” Moravsky said. “It was our first time going to this venue, and they just kept wanting us to sing and sing and sing and sing. We had just kind of started out, and we only knew two songs, and it was just one of those where we sang our two songs because that’s what they let you do… and they just wanted more, and we were like we don’t know more. The crowd snapped to a song and I just kind of sang in acapella and it was just like, ‘that just happened,’ and it was just incredible.”

Performing has been an exciting experience for Moravsky; she’s always able to have a great time and gain a boost of confidence. However, controlling your nerves can be challenging despite having fun on stage. There’s always a feeling of fainting before a performance, but Moravsky has been able to set her nerves aside through deep breaths and a lot of self-talk. For her, it’s all about living the moment and having fun because it all ends up being over so fast before you know it.

“I took singing lessons over the summer, and that was something I never did before, and I instantly got better,” Moravsky said. “I was like, ‘oh, I know how to breathe’, ‘I know how to stand’, ‘I know how to do this.’ I was never trained in it, I don’t know how to read music, I don’t know the more technical side of singing, but taking just those few music lessons over the summer, my singing got so much stronger.”

Moravsky acknowledges that she has seen much progress in her singing abilities and techniques. Over time her voice has become stronger, and she has found a sense of confidence through this passion.

For Moravsky, singing goes beyond having extraordinary abilities or reaching high notes. It’s her way of expressing her feelings, telling a story, and releasing her stress. Moravsky has struggled with finding the right words to express herself, and singing has allowed her to have a new sense of freedom. She doesn’t sing for others to congratulate her; on the contrary, she sings because of the confidence it provides her and the emotions she can release. 

Moravsky comes from an athletic family but claims her family developed their artistic side once everyone graduated from high school. Some of her favorite singers include Marren Morris and Kacey Musgraves, which fit into her comfort zone. Though when she’s looking for a challenge, she turns to Adele’s songs that not only carry tons of emotion but push her as a singer to reach that higher note. 

Moravsky has a deep value for music, one of her main importance is being able to connect with the lyrics. If there’s no connection, there’s no emotion within the message being delivered to the audience. Singing has been an outlet of happiness for her, it’s a part of her identity, allowing her to describe her feelings. Music has allowed her to express her emotions in a way she thought she never could, and that has indeed been a great gift for her.