High stakes ensemble competition returns to live performance roots
If you’ve ever walked past West’s iconic music wing, you’ll know that a cacophony of notes and strange sounds isn’t unusual as students polish their craft. Those sounds may have seemed even more tortured recently, however, through added stress and high octane pressure due to one intimidating perpetrator: the annual district WSMA solo ensemble on March 5. The very best student musicians had the opportunity to show off their talents at the festival, where they each played a piece (or five) for a judge and were scored on their performance.
Orchestra teacher Yukiko Grine welcomed the solo ensemble season.
“I think going to the festival is always exciting,” she said. “It’s always buzzing with energy, with up to 1,000 performances in one day from five high schools. It can be inspiring.”
The regional-level event, hosted on the first Saturday of March, was a day filled with new learning and nostalgia. Senior violinist Ella Steffen was glad to see the event come back in-person after last year’s virtual festival.
“Freshman year and sophomore year we were in-person, but then we moved on to virtual, so it was really weird,” she said. “With virtual, you had to deal with the awkwardness of setting up, getting everything ready, and watching back multiple takes.”
Unlike Steffen, junior violinist Michael Tang had some jitters returning to a primarily in-person evaluation.
“It’s definitely more nerve-wracking because online you could have as many takes as you wanted to, and you didn’t have a judge in front of you,” he said. “I guess when it’s in-person there’s more pressure.”
Grine sees the benefits and disadvantages of both sides.
“Being in-person, I think, is an overall good thing,” she said. “But I’m not knocking the virtual option; I actually think that they should keep it as an option. It’s great for students who suffer from extreme anxiety or performance anxiety.”
Grine acknowledges that the festival’s return to a mainly in-person format had an impact on the number of participants.
“What I saw most often was a hesitancy from some to commit to doing the in-person option,” she said. “I had less students make the choice to see that performance through. It was hard for the freshmen and those who never experienced it before.”
Sophomore oboist Madison Nesterick performed live.
“I would say most people were nervous,” she said. “It was my first time performing in front of a crowd, but I realized that it is fun to be a part of an ensemble with friends.”
Grine thinks that an integral part of the solo ensemble process has been amplified as the festival has moved from on screens to real-life.
“It's a more realistic performance experience because you have to go to a new environment for something that you might not know, but someone who is trained to give you constructive criticism,” she said. “I think that experience is absolutely valid in terms of truly building the performance skill set for musicians. I also think getting live feedback from the ajudicaters is a good experience.”
Senior violinist Melana Zeinert finds the feedback to be the most enjoyable part of the process.
“My favorite thing is probably being able to improve my skills and getting back feedback that you’re not always going to get in the group class setting,” she said. “It’s more individualized.”
Despite new challenges and struggles, Nesterick is thankful for the overall process and feels satisfied with the results.
“I think the solo ensemble brings people together,” she said. “I was able to form a group with people I had not been able to talk to before, and we discovered we had a lot in common. Especially in our love for music.”
Tang is grateful and ready to jump back into performing live for others again.
“My favorite part is the performance piece,” he said. “After you practice for so long, you get to play for someone. It’s more of an authentic feeling.”
Year after year, Grine continues to hold the festival dear to her heart.
“I enjoy hearing students perform,” she said. “I don’t always get to hear them perform by themselves, so I get to know them better as musicians and students. That is very fulfilling and inspiring, and it really helps me be a better teacher for them.”
By Allison Simmons
March 18 2022
Volume 118 Issue VI