By Steve Sears

For West Morris Mendham High School junior, Sarah Hayes, it was a definitive “Yes!” when asked to sing at home plate “The Star-Spangled Banner” on opening day of little league for the Chester Mendham Baseball\Softball Club.

Hayes, who takes professional voice lessons at Annie’s Playhouse in Far Hills and Mendham, said, “I am in an a cappella group at my school, and I had performed it with them, but it was my first time performing the national anthem by myself. That made me nervous, but it made me a little bit more nervous just because it is such a wonderful, respected song.”

Hayes was flawless that late afternoon, which is no surprise. She is no stranger to performing, having as an eighth grader starred as Belle in “Beauty and the Beast,” and a year later she performed in her first high school musical, “The Hunchback of Notre Dame.” West Morris Mendham’s a cappella group also competes yearly at the International Championship of High School A Cappella, which is hosted by Varsity Vocals.

“I’ve done that two years now,” she says of the competition, “and that is always a highlight of the year.”

“I come from a very musical family on both my biological father’s side and my mom’s side,” Hayes, a Special Events Assistant at Chester’s Alstede Farms, said. “Music has always been in my life, and for me, since starting theater in middle school, I think it has really given me the confidence to step up when I’m working at the farm and be able to help the managers to work in the events, help other kids who may be coming in, and direct people where to go on the farm with confidence. Theater has made me much more confident in what I do.”

And Hayes said her role at Alstede Farms equates with the performing arts. 

“Both are beautiful things. I would also love to help at the farm through high school and college years whenever I can. It is just so beautiful there. And the customers are lovely, and the community and the people who work for us are just absolutely wonderful.”

And sometimes at night, Hayes will head out on the farm’s property when everything is close to silent, look up at the stars in the sky, and break into song. “I have definitely done that before.”

Hayes has her eyes and heart on continuing in the arts in one way or another.

She said, “It is especially important that I continue down the path of music, whether it be on Broadway – that would be incredible – but also something maybe like a speech therapist that specializes in vocal injuries who could help people who are on Broadway, or who are doing theater and love it as much as I do.”

She paused, then said, “I just really would love to continue in music. That is a huge goal – to never lose that.”