Video captured by parent Jason Tanner at the Forum Festival at Fullerton College in California on April 10th, 2026.

When Change of Pace, Catalina Foothills High School's elite vocal ensemble, took the stage at the Forum Festival at Fullerton College in California on April 10, the group's setlist included something unusual: an original composition written and arranged by one of their own.
"Goodbye, My Friend, Goodbye," composed and arranged by CFHS senior Carter Ferrell, was performed alongside the ensemble's competition repertoire, under the direction of choir director Jeff Evans. It marked a rare moment in high school choral music.
"I would say it's very rare," Mr. Evans said. "Composers hear music in their mind. They imagine structures and stories, harmonies and textures. Then they have to figure out what musicians need to see in order to make the sounds they imagined. It seems very natural for Carter."
The piece began with a feeling. Carter met his best friend, a fellow composer, in choir during his sophomore year. When that friend graduated, Carter was left navigating the shift. "I felt a little lost and sad," he said. "I didn't know what was going to happen my senior year, so I decided to start writing about this feeling."Carter rehearsing with Change of Pace

As the writing stretched into his senior year, the piece evolved. "I realized that this is the final year I will be in high school," he said. "I wanted to say goodbye to my friends, my school life, my choir, and my time as a kid, and use those memories to help me move forward."
The title comes from a poem by Russian poet Sergei Esenin, which Carter discovered by chance while reading poetry online over the summer. "I instantly was able to connect with the text," he said. He set the poem to music using a technique called text painting, turning words into musical ideas. The piece took about eight months to complete.
Carter's musical journey stretches back to the Esperero Canyon Middle School choir under the direction of Julia Higgins. At CFHS, that passion deepened. He joined the choir program as a freshman, and a trip to New York City to sing Morten Lauridsen's "Lux Aeterna" at Carnegie Hall changed everything. "I would fall in love with the choir and its community," he said. His first composition, "Vitae Lux," was performed during his junior year. "Goodbye, My Friend, Goodbye" is his second.
"When I look at Carter's work, it's clear that he takes time to compose his ideas with great intention," Evans said. "His scores are well formatted and singable."
Students learning the music for an upcoming performance

Hearing the piece performed live by his classmates was a turning point. "Hearing the music you write performed by real musicians and people is eye-opening," Carter said. "I was able to see my vision realized, and singing my own piece is also a big privilege."For the rest of the ensemble, performing a piece written by a classmate brought something different to the room. "I see that it shifts their motivation a bit when they know they are preparing something that comes from such a personal place within a person they know and care for," Mr. Evans said. "In the end, I could tell that they were all very proud of Carter, and really enjoyed engaging with his ideas and sharing them with an audience."
Mr. Evans giving notes to Change of Pace in the choir room

Carter credits Mr. Evans with helping him find his path. "Mr. Evans is amazing at helping kids find the passion for music within them," he said. "He helped me realize that I can be a musician, and that I can do things I thought I would never be able to do."After graduation, Carter plans to attend the University of Arizona to study music education with a minor in music composition. He wants to work with high school students and give others the same experience his choir gave him. But composing, he said, will always be part of his life.
"I will never give up composing," Carter said. "Music is the language of the soul, and I want to be fluent in it."
Looking back on Carter's four years at CFHS, Mr. Evans keeps his summary simple but pointed: "I saw him get inspired by his friends. I watched him work very, very hard to build the skills necessary to notate music. And I saw him do it with a great deal of humility, while nurturing his classroom community as a leader, a singer, and a composer."
Then Mr. Evans added the kind of line that only a teacher who has been paying close attention can offer: "This won't be the last time we get to hear the music he composes."