HIGHLAND SPRINGS, Va. -- We have all seen athletes who secretly wish to be musicians or singers and musicians who would love to be athletes. What we rarely see is a dynamic blending of the two talents. But the folks at Highland Springs High School see it every day in Christian Bolar.
Bolar won all 20 games in which he started at quarterback for the Springers’ junior varsity team.
When he got to the varsity team, he switched positions to receiver to continue contributing as much as he could.
"People come up to me and they're like, ‘Man, you're always at football. You're always doing something with football.’ That's what it takes to be great," Bolar said.
"It shows the dedication he has for doing a sport and working on a craft as much as he can," his football coach Loren Johnson said.
Bolar is at practice after school every day as the Springers look to make the playoffs again this year.
It's serious business.
So why did he ditch practice early and head back inside the school?
Bolar is a big part of two worlds at Highland Springs: the Springers and the Singers.
As a member of the East End Singers, Bolar is part of a group of select voices in the Highland Springs choir.
He has been singing since the age of six, longer than he has been playing football.
"When I first met him, he wouldn't sing for me just yet. It had been a while since he was singing. I would listen to him play the piano; he can pick up things by ear," Highland Springs choral director Ariel Mitchell said.
"I first started playing piano for the choir. That kind of brought me in. It was something to do on the side. But then I started doing solos and different things to involve myself more. Eventually, I became all the way part of it and loving it," Bolar said.
As a soloist within the East End Singers, Bolar found a spotlight similar to the one he finds himself in on Friday nights.
"If somebody is off or somebody doesn't sound right, then the whole group sounds off. It's the same way on the field. Coach J preaches it: Do your 1/11," Bolar said.
"A lot of people don't realize that as a musician, discipline is necessary. You have to practice over and over again. You have to practice those notes repeatedly, and they get that on the field," Mitchell said.
Bolar's confidence in the choir room and on the football field nearly betrayed him the first time he sang at a Christmas concert attended by his teammates.
"And boy, was I afraid. I can't even lie to you. I wondered, ‘What are they going to think? Are they even going to clap for me? Are they going to enjoy it?’ There were a lot of things going through my mind," Bolar said. "Once I started singing, all that goes away."
"Very soulful, very beautiful. He's passionate about what he sings. He puts his all into it. He invites you on the journey he's presenting as a performer," Mitchell said.
Christian Bolar has already released three albums and has been nominated for two Stellar Awards.
In both of his passions, Bolar can bring people together with his talent, whether through their ears or their cheers.
"He's just very focused. He doesn't get frustrated. That definitely comes from being an athlete. You have to go out there in the game and get the job done, and he does it in here as well," Mitchell said.
"Singing he can do forever. Football will come to an end," Johnson added. "He'll be able to sing the rest of his life. He's pretty good at it."
"When I'm out there with my fellow Springers on the football field or stage, it's such a big difference when you have people around you who also love what they're doing. It just makes everything so much better," Bolar said.
Christian Bolar and the East End Singers are practicing for their fall concert coming up in October. The Springers football team is practicing as well, looking to extend their season into December.
He will be a key part of both.
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