By Taylor Seay

Anxiety is no match for senior Greta Smidt when she performs onstage for Leon students. How could it be? She sang in front of Pope Benedict XVI.

Smidt joined a singing group called Renaissance Singers at age 11. Being the youngest member did not intimidate the aspiring artist. The group is made up of 50 people of all ages from across America.Renaissance Singers travel to Europe to sing for various functions. These trips are considered “chance-of-a-lifetime moments,” according to Smidt. Past trips included singing in St. Paul’s Cathedral, in Notre Dame in 2003 and during the morning mass in Vatican City in 2007.

“Walking into the Vatican was incredible,” Smidt said. “It’s just a moment in itself.”

The group practiced for weeks before singing in Vatican City. The performance incorporated different styles of liturgical music.

Smidt hates telling people about her experiences because it feels like bragging.

“I usually just say I’ve sung in Vatican City, not for the Pope,” Smidt said.

Smidt has currently put her singing career on hold for education. However, she continues to raise her voice in Leon’s Capital Singers and Mane Event.

“Leon has changed my life,” Smidt said. “[What I have] learned in the last 18 weeks concerning music has completely changed my musical life.”