As Beyoncé’s “Halo” boomed through the car, senior Isha Mangal, then 11 years old, sat in the backseat of her mom’s minivan and hummed along to the tune. Although she had never been in a choir before, she could hit notes exactly a major-third above the melody, complimenting Beyoncé’s voice in a beautiful harmony.
“Whenever I hear something on Spotify or the radio, I just start singing,” Mangal said. “It comes naturally to me.”
Mangal, now a senior, has sung in the school’s choir program for four years — freshman year in Cantare Ensemble and sophomore, junior and senior year in Chamber Choir and Concert Choir.
Surprisingly, she had never taken lessons in traditional Western music until high school. As a young child, she took lessons in Indian classical music. She then transitioned to jazz and modern music as she matured.
Before attending SHS, Mangal attended Champion Middle School, a private school in West San Jose.
Because the school was so small, Mangal never had the singing opportunities she longed for. She was the only student in her grade and had to study with younger students. With only seven or eight students in her classes, she felt as if she was virtually “homeschooled.”
“They didn’t do anything for singing,” Mangal said. “It was really bad. It was so bad. I’m so glad I moved to Saratoga.”
According to Mangal, when she joined choir as a freshman, former choir director Jim Yowell helped her gain confidence in her singing.
“Mr. Yowell taught me awesome singing techniques and just really made me a better singer,” Mangal said.
After Yowell retired in 2014, choir director Andrew Ford took over the position and continued to help her.
Ford said: “One of my goals when I came to Saratoga High is to really make choir feel like a place where you can belong. And it’s students like Isha who really make that possible, because they love what they do and that enjoyment and excitement is infectious.”
He added Mangal’s passion for singing inspires other students to do better.
In addition to singing for school’s choir, Mangal has auditioned and participated in regional, all-state and national choirs for the past three years.
“I’m excited to do it again this year,” Mangal said. “It’s bittersweet because it’ll be my last year to make awesome music with so many talented singers who come from a lot of different places.”
Mangal also competed in the California Music Education Association (CMEA) Music Festival as a junior, singing an Italian art song called “Caro Mio Bien” by Giuseppe Giordani.
Although the song was Italian, Mangal was not daunted by the intricate lyrics.
“I’ve learned songs in many different languages: Korean, Chinese, Spanish, Italian, Indian, French and German,” Mangal said. “It was actually fun [to sing in Italian] at CMEA.”
Mangal received the Superior Command Performance Medal Award, the highest possible honor, and she was invited back to San Jose State University to perform for the organization.
Additionally, Mangal has also received two diplomas: one in Indian classical vocal for singing and another in Indian classical instrumental for playing the tabla, an Indian drum. With her extensive background in Indian music, Mangal has performed at community events and competitions, including many Indian celebrations like Diwali.
Mangal also performed Alicia Keys’s “If I Ain’t Got You” at the Saratoga’s Got Talent competition last summer, winning third place.
“I’m always looking to try different events for singing,” Mangal said. “But even though I perform a lot, what I really love to do is jam out to my guitar and make covers of songs.”
Mangal said that as much as she likes classical music, she isn't planning on studying it in college; still, she wants to pursue it in an acapella group or in solo performances.
Even though she is unsure of her future in music, she remains open to any opportunities, whether it be a singing on "The Voice" or singing as mere hobby.
“Music [is] always going to be a big part of my life,” Mangal said.