Selena Lemmon (So.) is a very talented and gifted singer. But if you see her in the hallway or in class, she is quiet, focused, and well-respected. However, her singing voice can carry expansive weight and hit notes with ease with a beautiful tone in any room, particularly in her 4th period - choir.
Lemmon’s vocal talent has paved the way for her to recently record one of her original songs “Paradox” at a studio in Nashville. This past summer, she traveled to the music capital of the world and recorded her single at Keystone Studios.
“Paradox” can be purchased/downloaded by visiting https://linktr.ee/theselenazenith and it is available on all major platforms (Spotify, Apple Music/iTunes, YouTube).
In only 1.5 years at Concordia, Lemmon (soprano) is on her way to being one of the most accomplished singers in school history.
Last school year as a freshman, in 2021-2022, Selena was a member of Concordia’s Concert Choir that secured the TAPPS 6A Vocal Music State Championship, the program’s 7th title in the last 11 years. She helped the choir’s point total by earning the highest rating, a Division 1 – Superior rating, on her solo, and was one of 18 out of 44 CLHS vocalists to do so. Also, Lemmon was selected to the Texas Private School Music Educators Association (TPSMEA) All-State Choir and Region 3 Mixed Choir as a freshman.
So far this year as a sophomore, in 2022-2023, Lemmon is not only a member of the 74-member Concert Choir, but also is a member of Concordia’s top vocal group, the Chamber Choir, which is an audition-based group that features the best 16 SATB voices on campus. In November, Lemmon was one of 24 Crusaders who earned spots in the National Honor Choir and traveled to Concordia University, Nebraska for professional clinics and a performance. Also, her solo for TPSMEA and has already been selected as All-State for the second year in a row.
No female vocalist at Concordia has ever been TPSMEA All-State all four years and Selena is halfway to that honor having been selected in both her freshman and sophomore years. The TPSMEA All-State choir is comprised of the best of the best singers from over 220 private high schools across the state. The soprano section is incredibly competitive and rarely do underclassmen sopranos earn this honor.
Eliza Schumacher ’22, TAPPS 6A Fine Arts Female Student of the Year for 2021-2022, was a member of the TPSMEA All-State Choir three times, which is currently the highest mark ever achieved by a Crusader female vocalist.
Outside of Concordia, Lemmon is very active singing and can be heard sharing her gift of music at Salem Lutheran Church (Tomball, TX), where she is a worship leader on the weekends.
“Being in choir helped me learn that there is no better feeling than singing for the Lord.”
- Selena Lemmon
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Selena was gracious to take some time to be interviewed by the Advancement Office about her experience recording “Paradox” in Nashville as well as sharing some thoughts about her time at Concordia and what might be next. Check out the Q&A below.
Questions with the artist:
Q: How long have you been singing?
Lemmon: According to my parents, I have been singing since I was very little, but I remember really enjoying singing and knowing I wanted to pursue it since I was about 5 years old.
Q: What is your favorite part about music?
Lemmon: I love music because it doesn't ever divide people. Music is something that is so diverse and inclusive that there is something for everyone. I think music can sometimes feel like a warm hug embracing you or like a deep conversation. It makes people feel comforted and not solitary.
Q: When did you write “Paradox” and how long did it take to finish writing the song?
Lemmon: November 2021 and it was written in a couple of hours.
Q: What inspired you to write “Paradox”?
Lemmon: I was actually in Mrs. Baker's English class, and we were talking about paradoxes in essay writing. I thought to myself “Paradox…that’s a neat song name.” The entire day I was thinking about how I could write the song and what type of paradoxes took place in my life, and possibly others. I kept thinking about how me, and other teenagers, have so much pressure on us to the point where we don't know who to please, or yet alone what we even want. It can be a lot to handle, so I wanted to write “Paradox” so people could relate to it.
Q: Are there any lyrics that have a specific meaning to you?
Lemmon: All the lyrics in the song have a special meaning to me, but my favorite is “Perfection is only a reflection of my own flaws.” It's my favorite because I love the vulnerability it brings forth. I often act like I have everything together and think I have to do everything right, but in the end, it just shows what I am trying to cover up.
Q: What was it like to be in a recording studio working on something you wrote?
Lemmon: Honestly it felt exhilarating. I had been working on the song melody and production for months, so to finally put my voice over it was super thrilling.
Q: Have you written other songs before or mainly done covers?
Lemmon: I have written many many songs, and I honestly can't keep count anymore. What journaling is like for others, songwriting is for me. I have done a lot of covers in showcases and music videos before as well.
Q: At Concordia, you are a part of our Concert and Chamber Choirs. How has Mr. Palomaki helped you develop/grow as a vocalist?
Lemmon: I can't begin to express how much gratitude I have for Mr. Palomaki’s guidance in Choir. I joined the concert choir my freshman year, and even only having Mr. Palomaki for one and a half years, he has taught me more than what I’ve learned in 10 years of music lessons. Mr. Palomaki helped my confidence in my range by putting me in a section I thought I could never sing in. He also encouraged me to audition for TPSMEA regions and all-state, and TAPPS solos. I would not have been able to compete in All-State if it wasn't for his counsel. He also taught me how to work with others. I learned how to sight read with the choir, work and blend with each other, and overall grow as a choir family. Not only did I learn to work on my choir vocal techniques, but I still use some of those techniques in the studio. All these things helped me develop and grow as a vocalist, but Mr. Palomaki helped me strengthen my faith through music. He has taught me skills that I will use throughout my entire journey in music but before choir, I never really understood what singing for the glory of God meant. But when I first was singing at our fall concert with 70 teenagers next to me, I realized what that meant. When we were singing, I just knew God was grinning ear to ear. Mr. Palomaki never took credit, he never bragged, and he always gave glory to God. Being in his choir helped me learn that there is no better feeling than singing for the Lord.
Q: Do you have any favorite memories from choir at Concordia so far?
Lemmon: The amount of favorite memories is overwhelming but I really enjoyed being able to go to TAPPS state with the whole choir. We definitely were super obnoxious and annoyed everyone in the hotel, but I think those were the funniest memories I have ever made. I remember my section sitting together in a circle and saying what we loved about each other and I thought “No other choir is a family like ours. How lucky am I to be with these people.”
Q: Concordia has had several amazing female vocalists go through the choir program (Nolen, Privette, Bonitto, J. Boatman, A. McClain, Potter, Favre, Minear, Finn, Miller, L. McClain, L. Kastenschmidt, Schumacher, Hartung-Latham, Elsisi, Good, Waltman, Dow, Grant, Oblinger, and so many more). What have you learned from them?
Lemmon: I had a lot of female upperclassmen vocalists take me under their wing and really guide me in my first year in choir. I was totally a lost sheep as last year was my first year ever doing choir AND my first year in high school! The upperclassmen in my section were always there to answer a question and always helped me with constructive advice. I learned a lot from them, but mostly that being a leader has a lot of influence on people. I hope to be as warm, kind, and loving to the next incoming freshman so they feel as welcome as I did.
Q: Do you have any other hobbies or interests beyond singing?
Lemmon: I play guitar, piano, and I do music production. I also really enjoy running and am on the Girls Cross Country team while also being on the Speech and Debate and Academic teams at Concordia. Outside of school, I enjoy volunteering, going to the gym, songwriting, or making music with my friends.
Q: What do you want to do after high school?
Lemmon: I hope to attend college with a prestigious music program, and major in music business with a minor in songwriting or audio engineering. I really would love to be a songwriter and label owner one day.
To learn more about vocal music at Concordia, visit www.sadernationtx.com/choir