Student Profile: City High School's David Maize Seeks His Next Stage

I am kicking off a new series on Iowa City Patch where I try to get into the schools and talk to students about their experiences and have them talk about their passions and interests in their own voice.

For this inaugural student profile, I spoke with David Maize, a standout show choir performer on Iowa City City High School's highly competitive show choir squad. Maize mentions his ambitions for the future, what he loves about performing, and where he's going next.

Maize, incidentally, says he will be auditioning for a spot at a university in North Carolina on Feb. 23 and may learn soon after that if he is accepted into that school's prestigious performance arts program. So good luck to him on that audition.

The following is an edited and abridged version of the original interview.

Iowa City Patch: You'll probably find this amusing, but when I was talking to Principal Bacon about this idea to do student profiles you were the first person he thought of. He said you have star power, and he would not be surprised if some day David Maize won American Idol.
 
David Maize: (laughs) Well I do find that amusing, because I did audition for American Idol, and I didn't even get past the first round.

Iowa City Patch: Maybe the next time then?

Maize: Yeah, if I ever get the chance again of course I'll try again.

But he's a very very positive person. I'm appreciative of all the things he says about me. I wouldn't say that I'm the next super star, but that's definitely a goal of mine so I'm glad that he has that belief in me. He motivates me a lot by what he says.

Iowa City Patch: So you do have the motivation to be a star?

Maize: Oh yeah, for sure.

Iowa City Patch: Why? In what sense does being a star performer appeal to you?

Maize: It's just with my performances over the years my love for the stage and being in the spotlight has only grown more and more. And having people like Mr. Bacon around to tell you that you're going to make it and do these great things it just inspires me to go further and prove them right.

Iowa City Patch: You say your love of the crowd and the spotlight has grown more and more. What do you enjoy about performing?

Maize: I would say it's definitely the positive energy I get back from people.
Our show choir has already been doing very well this year, getting a Grand Champion title under our belts, and it's only been doing better from there. And watching and hearing the crowd, because they're so excited to see us, react with such positive energy towards us-- as a performer that's the best thing you could possibly receive.

Iowa City Patch: As opposed to just the pleasure of singing, which I'm sure you like too, what is it about that positive feedback that you enjoy?

Maize: One of the things I enjoy the most as a performer is knowing that i am giving the crowd a good show. That's my all time favorite thing. If I know that the crowd is enjoying themselves and they're loving the experience of watching what is going on that just makes me the happiest of all.

I know when I am in a crowd I enjoy seeing a performer interact directly with the audience. In that way you can communicate as a performer to an audience member that you're not just performing just to perform, you're performing for them, for their entertainment, for their pleasure. It's really satisfying to know you gave someone a good time through that performance.

Iowa City Patch: So there's a connection you get out of it.

Maize: There's a definitely an audience connection there.

Iowa City Patch: Leaving stardom aside, I get the sense that whatever it is that you feel you excel at it in performing, you want more of that but just at a higher level. Is that correct? 

Maize: Yeah.

Iowa City Patch: What do you foresee that being?

Maize: I'm hoping to head to a music school in North Carolina to where they would train my voice, as well as dancing and acting for singers. And I would just love to make it somewhere like New York, whether it be for something like operatic performance, or solo performance, or musical theater. Those things interest me so much because so many people have such high respect for it.

I have seen professional musicals before and the things they are able to do are just astounding.

Iowa City Patch: And going back to something you said earlier, you mentioned that you wanted to prove them right by being successful. Who is the them you mean in that sentence?

Maize: Well just all the students around me. The student body is just generally very positive here, for everybody, not just me obviously. But hearing feedback from other students, faculty members, parents of other students, it's a real driving force and it feels really nice. It's a great community here.

Iowa City Patch: Ok, so now we're going to go to the Lightning Round and ask some more typical questions seen in student profiles.

Maize: Boom, here we go.

Iowa City Patch: Favorite movie.

Maize: Oh jeez. Lord of the Rings Trilogy. I love Peter Jackson's interpretation of the Tolkien books.

Iowa City Patch: Are you a fan of the Hobbit?

Maize: Oh yeah! I'm anxiously awaiting the next installment.

Iowa City Patch: Let's go to books then. You said you like Lord of the Rings, what's your favorite book?

Maize: I'm reading Dante's Inferno right now for a class. I really enjoy that. Besides that, Freakanomics and Superfreakanomics.

Iowa City Patch: Favorite song that you've ever sung?

Maize: Ummm….

Iowa City Patch: Or favorite song in general.

Maize: (laughts) That's not a question to ask a music person.

Iowa City Patch: Alright, I'll be nice, you can answer one or the other.

Maize: I guess my favorite song that I've ever sung as of right now is my current solo from show choir, it's Doobie Brothers, Long Train Running. It allows me to do some creative things with my voice that I don't typically get to do.

Iowa City Patch: Favorite food?

Maize: I eat everything, honestly. I have yet to find a food that I haven't enjoyed, or at least dealt with.

Iowa City Patch: And umm… Dealt with, what does that mean?

Maize: Well there are some foods that I might not enjoy but I'll still eat it.

Iowa City Patch: I gotcha, so you can get anything down then?

Maize: Pretty much.

Iowa City Patch: Final question, you're a senior, what has your City High experience meant to you?

Maize: It's meant everything to me. The opportunities they provide, everything. You can do anything that you want to try. And if you're great at it, they'll tell you that. They'll keep pushing on toward the next level of whatever you're interested in. It's definitely a great base to stand upon as I launch myself into the college world.