Music teacher Christina Senita wishes only one thing for her A cappella club Echo – that it provides a safe place for those looking to belong somewhere.

Echo is an A cappella club held at Dulaney that meets every Friday after school. Although it has been a club ever since Senita, Echo’s advisor, arrived at Dulaney five years ago. Currently comprised of around 15 members, Echo is completely student-led, meaning members choose the activities they do and songs they sing. As a result, the type of music changes from year to year, and all students have a say in what the club performs.

Echo is actively looking to grow in members, and while the club currently doesn’t participate in any competitive events, it could with the addition of new members.

“Not yet, but that would be really fun,” Senita said when asked whether Echo competes in any competitions, expressing optimism for the future of the club.

Although Echo is primarily a singing club, music is by no means its sole purpose. Members create a second home while singing together, and Senita strives to make the club

as welcoming and accepting as possible.

“I just want to give students a place to be,” Senita said, “where they know that they’re safe, where they know that they have people who are going to be there to support them and give them another opportunity for them to practice their musical skills, to build their confidence, for them to find what they’re capable of achieving. All those things make me really excited,” Senita said.

Senita understands that singing publicly can be a daunting task, but she encourages students to go outside of their comfort zone and give it a try.

“Singing can be really vulnerable,” Senita said, “because your voice is such a part of you, and so I know a lot of people will have a hard time feeling brave enough to sing out loud in front of other people, and one thing I really love about these students is that it really is a safe place to let your voice be heard.”

For those interested, the participants of Echo welcome everyone. If you are someone looking for a place to belong, you won’t regret joining the club. Don’t be afraid to stop by the chorus room on Fridays and let your voice be heard.