Some choristers step onto our stage for a season. Others, like Ruby Litaker, grow up with us—twelve years, to be exact. From her very first audition at age five to her last concert as a Mastersinger, Ruby’s journey with Charlotte Choir School is one filled with music, friendship, and the kind of memories that leave you humming for a lifetime.

Finding Her Voice Early

Ruby’s Choir School story began in the most fitting way: at a concert. “My mom took me when I was four,” she remembers. “I spent most of it trying to sing along.” The very next fall, Ruby auditioned—reading a poem, singing The Star-Spangled Banner, and politely declining to play piano despite lessons. The stage was set for a musical childhood.

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A World of Music and Meaning

Her time in Girls Town Choir, Tour Choir, and then Mastersingers gave Ruby countless opportunities to share her voice—from hometown concerts to performances abroad. One memory shines brightest: singing Beati Quorum Via in Salisbury’s Church of St. Martin—the oldest church in Britain still in use. “It was surreal,” she says. “To be in that space, adding our voices to centuries of music, was unforgettable.”

Another favorite moment? Performing La Violette without a conductor after Mr. Outen surprised the Tour Choir by taking a seat in the audience. “He trusted us,” Ruby says. “We sang it on our own every time after that.”

More Than Just Music

Ask Ruby what she loved most, and she’ll tell you it was being surrounded by people who understood her love of music. But the program gave her more than that. “The Choir School supported me through tough times and challenged me to grow into a better person,” she reflects. “It gave me a wonderful education, travel opportunities, and the chance to work with world-class musicians.”

Some skills stick with her daily—even outside the rehearsal room. “I’m the most efficient packer I know, and I write a killer thank-you note.”

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Life After Choir School

Today, Ruby serves her community as a paramedic in Charlotte. While her singing voice doesn’t take center stage as often, she still performs occasionally with Caritas, a local chamber music group here in Charlotte. And her connection to Choir School hasn’t faded: she still tours with us as a summer chaperone and counts many of her closest friends among fellow alumni.

What It Means to Be an Alum

Looking back, Ruby sees her twelve years at Choir School as a gift. “It means I was lucky enough to be part of a very special program that used music as a teaching tool and a stepping stone to the rest of the world,” she says.

Her hope for today’s choristers? That they carry forward not just the music, but the friendships and life lessons that last far longer than a concert season.

And though Ruby has moved from choir robes to a paramedic’s uniform, she still proudly calls herself a choir school kid. “Even at 27,” she says, “that’s a part of me that will never change.”