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KIMBALL - This week's All-Star Student is a senior at Kimball High School, and member of the high school choir. Holly Dahlinger is one of two seniors in the choir, and like her senior counterpart, has been singing at the state level, being awarded the highest honor, a State Superior Award.

Holly Dahlinger
(Photo: Joshua Akkerman, WJON)
Holly Dahlinger
(Photo: Joshua Akkerman, WJON)
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"I was really excited because that's a really high honor to get," says Dahlinger, "Just being as in love with singing as I am, it was just awesome. It felt really good."

Arlene Sands is the Kimball Area Vocal Specialist.  She says Holly is a great jazz artist.

"She's kind of a jazz singer. I mean she can, she can do it all. She can step in there and sing classical, but I think her favorite is doing kind of the jazz. She can listen to somebody, and kind of sing like them. She's just an amazing singer," says Sands.

Dahlinger has been singing all of her life.  Her natural talent, as Sands puts it, allows her to just listen to the music, and she is instantly able to sing along.

Sands and Dahlinger recalled a moment at the state competition where Holly had to do just that.

Sands says, "Last year we went to contest, and we had a boys trio that was singing, and one of the boys got into state for wrestling, so he was unable to come. So that day we found that out, and Holly said 'well I think I know his part.'  She got into contest. She sang the tenor part, in a three part boys song, and received a State Superior on the trio. The judge commented to 'that isn't always your voice like that is it?' Of course not.  She is singing soprano now, so it's been lots of fun having Holly."

Dahlinger says, "So I would actually sing the songs with the guys, and then I just knew the parts of the songs. So when one of them couldn’t make it, I was like 'I know his part.' It was so much fun because normally I don't get to sing with the guys, and I do have that really good range where I can sing the lower notes, and it was just something about singing with the guys that made me feel...it was really cool because most girls don’t sing in competition with guys. It made me feel really unique."

Holly Dahlinger
(Photo: Joshua Akkerman, WJON)
Holly Dahlinger
(Photo: Joshua Akkerman, WJON)
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Some of Dahlinger's favorite songs to sing while she has been in choir have been Hallelujah, and Phantom of the Opera because of the way she was able to emotionally connect to the songs. She says being able to sing at the state level has been really rewarding.

Do you know a student like Holly that could be our "All-Star Student of the Week?"
It can be any student, in any grade, doing any activity.

Nominate your student today!

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