Hitting the high note

The invitation alone was flattering.

Anna Kayes marveled at the idea of performing at the Kennedy Center.

For a high school senior there is perhaps no grander stage—especially for an alto in the prestigious H-B Woodlawn Chamber Singers.

As a select member of a nationally-acclaimed choral department, Kayes continuously explored music's rich history, from Mozart and Haydn to Bach. She was introduced to legendary composers and challenged in ways she'd never imagined possible.

Singing with Grammy Award winners, however, was unchartered territory.

Nearly two years later, sharing the spotlight with the Washington Chorus at their 2007 Christmas concert remains one of the biggest thrills of Kayes' singing career.

"I was terrified," the Northern Virginia Majestics forward said. "But it was a great experience and I think that changed me for the better."

Woodlawn is all about pushing the boundaries of excellence. And Kayes flourished under founding choral director Jeffery S. Benson, who challenged her to find the wonder and joy in bringing cherished classics to life.

"I'd like to keep singing somewhere. It's not like I'm going to make a living out of it or anything, but I've just always really loved doing it," said Kayes, who auditioned for and made the Woodlawn concert choir, women's camerata and the renowned chamber singers during a remarkable high school career that allowed her to direct her own academic future at the Arlington magnet school while also excelling in soccer for neighboring Washington-Lee.

At Woodlawn, she learned the importance of self-discipline, self-motivation and, perhaps most importantly, self-confidence that enabled her to perform side-by-side with the some of the best singers in the world.

"My choral director at [Woodlawn] tripled the size of the choir in the five years he was there and he really made me appreciate music," Kayes said.

Benson brought out Kayes' natural talents and encouraged her to find new ways to use them. Along the way, she applied that same philosophy to soccer.

She went on to become a captain and MVP at Washington-Lee and once won a national championship with her Braddock Road club team.

Now in her first summer with the Majestics, the 20-year-old Kayes is a rising junior at William & Mary, where she is a member of the women's chorus and the women's soccer team.

In 19 games at forward last fall, she scored her first collegiate goal and helped William & Mary (15-7-1) advance to the second round of the NCAA Tournament—a stage that, like Kennedy Center, allowed Kayes to apply her skills at the highest possible level.

"I think you have to be kind of a performer, but I think it just takes confidence the same way it takes confidence on stage too," Kayes said. "Singing, and my choral director in particular, gave me a lot of discipline, but everybody loved it because he also made it fun."

The joy of soccer is also based partly in self-expression. On an open field with the ball at her feet, Kayes puts a bit of her personality into every charge to the net.

"She's definitely a hard-working and scrappy player. She doesn't give up on any ball," said Majestics midfielder Brittany Lane, who is also about to begin her third season at William & Mary.

"I think her determination is one of the strongest parts of her game. It's really fun playing with her because I can always count on her to run as hard as she can. Even if my pass isn't so good, she'll go for it and won't give up on it."

Optimism is one of Kayes' strongest traits as well. The Majestics (1-8-0) are a young team that has struggled to produce goals all summer. But the potential for success is evident every time the U-23 squad takes the field.

Kayes is a big reason to trust in the future as one of 14 players under the age of 21 on this year's W-League squad.

"We're really trying to turn our hard work into wins," Kayes said. "We've been practicing so hard and losing by a hair all season. Hopefully we can put some away.

"It makes us feel like what we're doing is worthwhile, not that the season still hasn't been fun. It's just much more fun to win."