Barack Obama Male Leadership Academy at A. Maceo Smith Glee Club students are learning more than musical notes and scales; they are gaining self-confidence and forming relationships.
“Choir is like exposure therapy,” said Christian R. “It’s a safe environment, so the pressure of performing in front of others is lost very quickly and will help you be more confident in every aspect of your life.”
A senior, Christian, joined seven years ago as a way to learn more about music. His favorite parts of being in the glee club are the friends he’s made along the way.
“Choir helped me meet so many different people from my school and is a means of connecting to people that aren’t from my school,” he said. “It’s a meaningful experience that bridges strangers together.”
More than an extracurricular activity, BOMLA glee club prepares students for life after high school, a responsibility Dustin Barksdale, choir director, takes seriously.
“My main goal as an educator is to teach students to be good people. I want them to go out in the world and spread positivity, not hate,” he said. “I want them to be able to express themselves articulately, yet sensitively. Music is merely the tool we use to develop the social and emotional skills needed for life.”’
Being involved in choir helps students learn soft skills like time management, collaboration, and organization. And earning state accolades and awards at UIL competitions helps them stand out on their college applications, Barksdale said.
Participating in competitions builds confidence, but also teaches students how to work toward a goal and how to handle disappointment, he added.
“Life is a constant wheel of highs and lows, yeses and no’s, good times and bad times,” Barksdale said. “The results are not always what they want them to be. While it can be upsetting to them at the time, this is one of the best lessons a choir can teach a student.”
More than anything, Barksdale hopes they graduate with a sense of self.
“I want students to leave the choir knowing how to show emotion, knowing how to work with others, but most importantly, being empowered to be themselves,” he said.
That is a lesson Frederick W., a senior, is learning.
“Choir helped me learn how to express my feelings and work hard for things I want,” he said. “By putting me on the spot in certain situations, I have become more confident in real-life situations.”
Frederick said he’s learned patience, resilience, discipline, and passion, which he said will help him after he walks across the graduation stage.
“I’ve been a part of it for four years and I’ve been rewarded with experiences I would have never thought possible,” he said. “It gave me a view of life I had never seen and opened a career path for me.”
Looking back at his experience, Isaac M., who graduated from BOMLA in May 2025, joined the glee club to have a space where he could express himself through music and be part of a family.
Now, majoring in neuroscience and behavioral biology at Emory University, he applies the lessons he learned at BOMLA to his classes.
“In college, there are so many things going on at once that sometimes it feels overwhelming,” Isaac said. “Choir taught me how to balance responsibilities and stay committed even when things get hard.”
The deadline to apply to application-based schools, like BOMLA, for the 2026-2027 school year is Jan. 31, 2026.
