They practice so much that they often have to give up outside activities. Their coaches are demanding and expect a lot out of them. They perform under hot lights for audiences who sit comfortably in air conditioning.

And they love it.

They are members of the Indianapolis Children's Choir, whose goal is "to provide quality music instruction while attaining the highest level of artistic excellence in choral performance," according to the ICC Web site.

The ICC includes kids from kindergarten through ninth grade who sing in 12 different choirs, based on skill and experience. Older students sing in the Youth Chorale division of ICC.

To learn more about the choir, Y-Press interviewed seven of these vocalists: Amber Agan, 14; Jessica Amt, 15; Amanda Fletcher, 15; Benton Fletcher, 11; Megan Fletcher, 9; Laura Galliher, 14; and Tony Kestler, 14.

According to Tony, kids interested in joining the choir should first love music. Also, you must audition every year, even if you are already involved in the choir.

These kids joined for a variety of reasons. For Benton, it was a recommendation from his sister.

"My oldest sister was in ICC and she said that she had a whole lot of fun and she got to go to different countries, and I wanted to do that, too," he said. "My music teacher said that I was a good candidate."

Laura also was encouraged by a teacher. "In fourth grade, my music teacher told me to go to this big festival called the Choral Festival. I had a lot of fun, so I auditioned for ICC," she said.

ICC sponsors a music camp during its weeklong Choral Festival at Butler University each summer. Kids interested in joining ICC can go to the camp, which has morning and afternoon sessions, to see if they are interested in auditioning.

Trade-offs required

If they become involved with the choir, they must make certain commitments and sacrifices.

"ICC takes up three hours of the week, and I think out of the whole week I can sacrifice that," Tony said. "I have to give up sports mostly 'cause they tend to fall on Mondays and Wednesdays, and those are the days we have ICC."

"You miss being with your friends," Jessie explained. "During the swim season, I had to miss a lot of swim practices and that made my coach kind of mad because you're supposed to be there every day. I had to sacrifice swimming for choir so that I can go on tour and not be kicked out for my absences."

Benton had a similar experience. "I used to be a Boy Scout. When I was in choir, I'd always have to miss Boy Scouts."

In exchange for the sacrifices, there are benefits that come along with the commitments the children make. ICC is an internationally acclaimed choir that travels in the United States and throughout the world. This summer, it is going to Europe.

The kids talked about the responsibility and thrill of traveling.

"Mr. Leck (Henry Leck, founder and artistic director of ICC) is always saying, 'You can't change a first impression.' We always have to be very well-disciplined and polite," explained Amanda.

It's a learning experience, Jessie said. "You get to understand how people react in other countries and that you won't offend or treat someone badly for their culture."

But it's a lot of fun, too. Laura described her "amazing" trip with ICC to South America last summer: "We were celebrities in South America. They gave us standing ovations after every song. Kids were like, 'I want your autograph,' '' she said.

There are other benefits to joining ICC.

"I think it's the discipline," added Benton, who has noticed a change in his behavior after he started with the choir two years ago. "When I was in second and third grade, I got in trouble a lot."

"It brings out your socialization skills," said Tony. "I used to be the silent type -- stay back and watch everyone else have fun."

It teaches you to be responsible, Amber said. "We have homework, and if we don't turn it in the day it's due, it's considered an F. And sometimes you have to practice music on your own, so you have to make sure you do that, and that takes commitment."

Everyone agreed that their musical ability has improved, too.

"I'm singing a lot better than I was," Megan said. "My music teacher (at school) gives me solos in choir."

Appreciating differences

Many of the kids believe exposure to the wide variety of people within the choir also is an asset.

The choir "has made me aware of diverse cultures," Laura said. "It makes you more open to other people."

"It's cool because you'll see a lot of different types of people and they can add to the richness of the choir. We're from different backgrounds, but the reason we're all here is because we love singing and we love music," Amanda said.

Wherever the Indianapolis Children's Choir goes, there is an outpouring of positive response from the audiences.

Jessie explained, "The music that we sing isn't Three Blind Mice . It's a lot harder. It's by Bach and Mozart. I think a lot of people are amazed at how well we can sing."

Amber is proud of her involvement in the choir. "We're one of the biggest choirs in the nation and the most recognized. It's neat to know that you're a part of it."

REPORTERS: Lauren Slemenda, 11; Joey Glass, 12; and Jenny Hoffman, 12.