Encore Champions
Avon High School’s varsity mixed show choir, the Avon Accents, are back-to-back state champions, winning this year’s mixed division competition with their team of more than 60 students.
“Last year [2025] we had an Olympics theme and it went over really well,” Leah Trigg, director of Avon Accents, says. “It became a crowd favorite, so the pressure was on this year to try and match something just as clever and creative.”
The nearly 20-minute show featured a variety of musical and dance numbers with a delivery theme.
“We started out as mailmen; FedEx, USPS and UPS workers. We changed the words of some familiar songs. For example, instead of ‘Whip It,’ we did ‘Ship It,’ and instead of ‘Jump, Jive and Wail,’ we did ‘Sort, Stamp and Mail,’” Trigg says.
The men performed a country number, “Overnight Mail,” and the women performed “Please Mr. Postman” in costumes that resembled envelopes and stamps.
“Everyone did ‘Signed, Sealed, Delivered’ together, and we ended the show celebrating letters and invitations with different occasions like Christmas, weddings and parties, and each occasion had a different set piece,” Trigg says. “The audience loved it. It was clever.”
State championship performances come with a lot of preparation, dedication and hard work, and these performers are often doing double duty in the Avon High School music program and beyond.
“They meet as a class four days per week and then after-school rehearsals are between two and six hours, with an eight- to 12-hour Saturday too,” Drew Stainbrook, co-director, says.
Practice begins in early September, but students are performing in other choir concerts too.
“Our musical is at the beginning of October, so we practice for show choir twice per week, and then when January hits, it’s three days per week and several all-day Saturdays,” Trigg says. “But they are able to do other school activities too. We have lots of athletes, students in clubs and more. They’re here a lot and very busy, but they have a life outside of show choir too.”
The students don’t seem to mind.
They’ve found their “home” in show choir and have opportunities to travel to competitions, learn and socialize through music.
“They’re all best friends and very close. The coolest thing for me is seeing the final product and how fun this is for the kids to perform. Competition is fun, but the performing itself is what I love,” Trigg says. “That’s why we’re doing this. They work for something bigger than themselves. It’s easy for kids to sit at home and scroll on social media, but there’s something special about making music together. It’s good for your soul.”
Of course, the overwhelming success isn’t half bad either.
“We’re creating memorable shows that connect with people. It’s really fun, and I love seeing them have the opportunity to celebrate with the audience. They have incredible support and love from family and friends, and they’re constantly making changes and improving and challenging themselves, and that’s really rewarding for them and for us,” Stainbrook says.
It takes a village, according to Trigg and Stainbrook. The support from the parent booster club and school administration is unmatched.
As the program has grown and funding has increased, they’ve also been able to hire expert choreographers from West Virginia who not only create a show with Trigg and Stainbrook but routinely come to Avon to practice with the students.
“We also have a parent booster group that builds the sets and loads equipment on and off the trucks. We have some dads here every single night building things and getting stuff ready for us,” Trigg says. “Our principal, Matt Shockley, will come to the shows, even if they’re not in Avon, and he stays for both choirs, Accents and JV Team Traction. I’ve never worked in a corporation where the principal, assistant principal and others travel this far to see their school’s performances.”
The Accents perform in the annual musical and as a concert choir too. It makes them well-rounded musicians, according to Trigg.
“They know how to sight-read and other skills. We’re really trying to develop their whole musicianship, teaching them how to read music and how to sing in different styles. As soon as show choir competitions are over, we’re back to work on new music for concert choir,” Trigg says.
It works, not only because of the steadfast support and love of their community but because of the dedication and hard work of each student.
“There’s more than 60 kids with a common goal,” Stainbrook says. “They come in, form a bond, love each other and create a great product. These are amazing kids who work really hard and take so much pride in what they’re doing.”
The only thing left to do is start planning for the 2027 season and make it better than ever.
