Aberdeen Educator Sings At Weddings, Funerals And Karaoke
ABERDEEN, S.D. (AP) — Music was always a part of Camille Fischer’s life.
She sang and played piano from a young age, at school and at church and, upon graduation from Roncalli High School in 1982, began studying music education at Northern State University and joined a band.
“I started singing and playing piano when I was 7, and it’s gone from then,” Fischer said. “Church choirs, sang in high school, college.”
In the band, Fischer played keyboards and sang, the Aberdeen American News ( ) reported. She continued to sing and perform at church, with the band and with the karaoke company Remdog Entertainment, as well as at weddings and funerals.
One of her favorite songs to sing at weddings is “The Prayer,” a song made famous by Celine Dion and Andrea Bocelli. She sang it at her wedding before walking down the aisle.
“Camille is a hard worker,” Remdog owner Mark Remily said. “She’s dedicated to her job and she’s very true to her heart, to her friends. She’s just a good person.”
Fischer said she regularly sings the national anthem at sporting events.
“Even once in a bowling alley,” Fischer said. “It was a state tournament — Brookings, I think it was, I don’t even remember. My husband laughs at me for that one. He was there bowling and I was there and they asked and I said, ‘OK.'”
She’s auditioned for “Star Search” and “America’s Got Talent,” and had dreams of moving to Nashville, but Aberdeen is home.
“I’m too old and set in my ways to do anything now,” Fischer said with a chuckle. “If I could stick around here and do recording, I think I’d be all right. Keep my full-time job and do it on the side. But I’m a homebody; I don’t really want to go anywhere. My family’s here.”
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After college, Fischer said she didn’t jump right into teaching. She worked office jobs and subbed occasionally, until she started teaching full-time nine years ago at her alma mater, Roncalli High School.
“Took me a while to figure out what I wanted to do,” Fischer said. “It just so happens to be what I went to school for.”
She teaches vocal music for students in kindergarten up through the high school choir.
“With teaching, you expose kids to all these different kinds of things and it’s a life-long thing that they can do,” Fischer said. “You can always sing in your church choir, you can always sing along in the shower to the radio.”
Fischer is still singing at weddings and funerals, and still does karaoke as a substitute occasionally.
“I love music, and I want everybody to have that same feeling for it,” Fischer said.
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Information from: Aberdeen American News,
