Seventeen-year-old Alexa Cote fondly recalls performances of “I’m a Little Teacup” in front of friends and family as a starting point in discovering her vocal talents.

“I love performing in front of people,” Cote said. “I’ve been singing since I could talk.”

Singing in front of family as a young girl was — Cote said with a grin — “a serious matter.”

“I used to be really shy about singing. No one could crack a smile or I’d break up and cry,” Cote said.

Although that isn’t the case anymore for the confident Glacier High School senior, she still is serious about singing.

Cote is one of six Montana students chosen to perform with 350 musically inclined high schoolers from around the nation in the National Association for Music Education All-National Honor Mixed Choir.

The choir will perform Oct. 30 at the Presidential Ballroom of the Gaylord Opryland Hotel Nashville, Tenn.

Cote, who is an alto 2, also sings with Glacier’s concert choir and select Glacier Echoes choir. Cote attributes her flair for singing to April Vogel, her vocal coach for four years.

“She taught me a lot of the things I need to know, the basics. She shaped me as a singer,” Cote said.

To be considered for the national choir, Cote had to make All-State Choir and submit a two-minute video recording of herself singing. Cote sang “O Del Mio Dolce Ardor,” a piece in Italian she previously performed at a district music festival.

Before then, she hadn’t sung in a foreign language. Cote taught herself listening to recordings online.

“I fell in love with the piece right away,” Cote said. “It fit my voice really well.”

The flow and ease with which she can sing a song determine how Cote knows what will work for her vocal range.

“Certain songs sound good with your voice,” Cote said. “The song has a dynamic range, but a comfortable one.”

Although this is her third year making All-State, Cote held off on auditioning for All-National.

“My voice has matured — dynamically grown — I felt it was worth taking that chance and I was ready to invest my time,” Cote said.

Between All-State and All-National, Cote has about 10 pieces of music and has forgone volleyball tryouts to devote more time to singing.

“It’s really overwhelming in a really good way,” Cote said. “Singing is my passion. It’s what I love to do,”

Cote is also planning for life after high school graduation.

“I’m torn between singing in a choir at college or traveling to a city to make my own music,” Cote said.

Cote said she is not sure what genre of music she would like to create.

“That’s where I have no idea and that’s where it would be so fun finding myself as an artist. I don’t know what type of artist I would be,” Cote said.

Cote knows one thing is for certain:

“All I want to do is sing.”

Reporter Hilary Matheson may be reached at 758-4431 or by email at [email protected].