The man behind the curtain: Thorne hangs it up after 20 years at Homewood High School

For the past 20 years, Scott Thorne has led the show choir at Homewood High School.

Thorne has led students in 20-minute productions, helping them learn to sing and dance and gain confidence in themselves. The shows include a variation of songs, usually set to a theme, he said.

He has also directed the Miss Heritage Pageant and served as the voice of the Homewood High School band.

“I feel we’ve created space for them [students] to be confident in who they are regardless of who they are,” Thorne said.

This school year was Thorne’s final year, and it also was probably Thorne’s favorite show, as it served as a final message to his students, a way for him to tell students and others what he wanted to leave behind. It was called “The Man Behind the Curtain.”

Thorne said he always felt like the Wizard of Oz in a way. He pulled a bunch of different strings, all to be able to showcase the talented students at the high school. He said he always sought to teach his students to find strength in weakness, joy every day and to love everyone, even when it is difficult.

This past year, the show choir finished second in nationals after winning local, state and regional competitions. Work begins in the February of the preceding year, as Thorne finds songs to perform, arranges them and then brings in a choreographer to teach dance while he teaches vocals. Previous shows have focused on humanity, grieving and other topics, Thorne said.

There are three competitive choirs, one for the ninth grade class, one all-girls choir and the top choir, which has 64 students.

Thorne “lucked into” music in college, taking part in a show choir at Auburn University. During his first year teaching in Eufaula, the students didn’t know what a show choir was but agreed to learn and start one, he said.

He remembered taking that group to a competition, where they didn’t win, but were still “so excited” about what they had done. But when they saw Homewood High School perform, their jaws dropped, Thorne said.

So coming to Homewood a few years later was a very “full circle” moment for him, Thorne said.

“Watching a kid be in this space right here, … it’s less about that and the music and more about the confidence they’ve gained,” he said.

In the past few decades, show choir has changed, Thorne said.

“They definitely dance a lot more than they did when I was just starting out,” he said.

The shows allow students to learn because they’re part of something of quality, Thorne said. It is a boost of confidence, he said.

“They build each other up,” Thorne said.

If one student struggles, others pick them up and help them, as their work affects each other, he said.

Thorne said he has always sought to treat the students like real people, allowing them to have a voice.

“When I compliment them, it’s deserved,” he said.

The work he and the students have done has been “pretty successful,” Thorne said. There have been 34 overall grand championships in his 20 years, and the only school to equal that mark is the high school in Clinton, Mississippi, which Thorne said is the best in the country. Still, Homewood has always been a force to be reckoned with.

“They’ve been consistent and always in the conversation,” Thorne said.

The group has only missed the finals three times in Thorne’s 20 years.

“It’s taught me patience, for sure,” Thorne said. “It’s easy to get cocky. … [Show choir] always kept me humble.”

He said he’s also learned to expect more out of students.

“People will give you what you expect,” Thorne said.

Thorne said he will always remember the concert that alumni put on for him before his retirement, as it ran through his favorite songs and allowed him to see kids he taught years ago, he said.

Byron Mosquera will replace Thorne next year after being his assistant for a few years. He’s also a former pupil.

“Scott’s built such a big program here,” Mosquera said. “We’re not going to change who we are.”

Mosquera said he’s learned to be accepting of everybody, as the students who join the choir come from all types of backgrounds. He’s also learned the management side of things, keeping budgets and making sure logistics are taken care of, not just preparing the shows.

Mosquera said one of his favorite trips was taking part in nationals on the stage of the Grand Ole Opry. This year, nationals were in California, which was fun, he said.

“It’s every bit as much about seeing other groups and what they do,” Mosquera said. “Show choir is vast, but it’s also a small community.”

Thorne said he plans on enjoying not having to plan anything this summer, but he will eventually pursue other work that is “fulfilling,” he said.

But he won’t be fully away from show choir. He will judge competitions and take part in clinics as well, he said.

More than anything, Thorne said he will miss the students.

“I love what I do, but I love the students,” he said. “That’s what it’s about.”