ACU’s biggest week of the year is in full swing with  six select students crooning at the heart of it all.

While the student body has been rehearsing their club and class acts, this year’s Sing Song hosts and hostesses also have been at work for the past three months, preparing to perform before and after acts at this year’s production.

“We started back in December with a retreat,” said Carlee Cagle, senior musical theatre major from Arlington. “During that retreat, we learned about 18 songs in less than 48 hours. So we hit the ground running.”

Preparation, while still intense, may have  come a little more naturally for this year’s group because four out of the six are musical theatre majors who already were friends after studying and working in theatre together. A level of trust already existed between them, said Peter Hargrave, junior musical theatre major from Pasadena, Calif..

“It is scary to start singing in front of people you don’t know that well,” Hargrave said. “We didn’t have that awkwardness because the four of us have been singing together for a very long time.”

That level of trust grew to include hostess Callie Massey, senior music education major from Harker Heights, and host Jared Ohrmundt, senior math education major from Hurst. Both come from lifelong musical backgrounds and immediately worked their way into the group dynamic.

As a music education major and member of a family singing group, Massey said she strives for vocal excellence. For her, Sing Song’s most foreign challenge is dancing.

“It has been absolutely terrifying. I thought that I would be safe with a math guy, but he can dance his butt off,” Massey said. “Singing is my forte, but I’m having fun with it all and trying my best.”

Rehearsals consume much of the team’s time, with the group meeting every school day for an hour to perfect vocals and practicing routines in and out of the dance studio.

“Stress is definitely there and it can be intimidating,” said Kat Bailey, senior musical theatre major from Sugar Land. “We just have to deal with it, pray about it and leave it on the stage.”

Several of the hosts feel honored to have the responsibility of being the face of Sing Song. Blake Rogers, junior musical theatre major from Athens, said he has attended Sing Song all his life and is excited to be an integral part of this ACU tradition.

“It means a lot to be part of a legacy,” he said. “There are two theatre alums that have done this that are on Broadway right now. It is so cool to be a part of something so big.”

All of the singers agree they are ready and anxious to display their hard work and perform on opening night.

“We finally get to do what we have been preparing for,” Cagle said. “As my mom would say, ‘Do what you know.’ We have been preparing for months, so we know this stuff. We’ve just got to do it.”

Sing Song performances will take place in Moody Colosseum on Friday at 8:00 p.m. for $16, Saturday at 2:00 p.m. for $18 and at 8:00 p.m for $24.