MHS hosts 450 schools at District Music Festival

Nearly 450 student musicians made their way to Malta two weekends ago to perform in the MHSA District Music Festival, one of 12 such festivals in the state each spring. The two-day festival in Malta hosted nine schools including Saco, Whitewater and Hinsdale.

Some of the students where competing at the final District Festival for the last time in their high school careers – like Lukas Johnson of Hinsdale – while others were getting their first taste of the event.

Johnson, a senior at Hinsdale High School, performed on his trumpet on Saturday morning and felt that things could have gone better than they did. Johnson played What a Wonderful World composed by George David Weiss and Bob Thiele.

"It wasn't good," said Johnson. "I played the F Sharp natural, thought too much about it and I was wondering what was wrong and why it sounded weird. It threw me off the entire time. I was trying to figure out what I did wrong at the beginning and because I was focusing on it, I just bombed the rest of it."

Johnson, who recently returned from his Senior Trip to his classmates in Hawaii, said things went smoother on Friday when he and his cohorts in the Concert Band Piece performed the James Bond Theme and then with the Jazz Band performed 25 of 6 to 4 by Chicago. It was the Jazz Band performance he was most happy with.

"It went pretty well," said Johnson. "The arrangement was more saxophone based and I thought we did a good job on it. I had a short solo in it and it went a lot better than today."

Where Johnson was at his fourth District Music Festival, Malta freshman Devyn Salsbery was at her first and she admitted that her nerves were getting the better of her.

"I still feel sick to my stomach," she said.

Salsbery said she performed twice on Friday with singing groups and those sessions went very well. On Saturday, she sang Things My Heart Will Know as her solo.

I think it went okay, but it could have went a little better," Salsbery said. "There are things I could have worked harder on, but overall it went pretty well."

Palmer Giblette, a junior at Malta High School, was one of the first to perform on Saturday morning and sang a Folk song entitled Cindy. Giblette felt the performance went well and added that it was the fifth time he had recently sang the song. Giblette said that he has made the State Music Festival in both his freshman and sophomore years and hoped he would advance to the final meet this year.

"I plan on it," he said. "I think I did pretty well."

The State Solo Ensemble East will be held the beginning of May in Billings.

District Music Festival 2015 Results

Malta High School

Rank, Name, Composition, Accompanist: I, Thalia Medina, Sonata V - Handel, Oxarart. I, Riley Mortenson, Allegretto - Godard, DeVries. I, Dede Johannesen, Sicilienne - Faure, DeVries. II, Palmer Gilbette, Aria and Rondinella - Handel, Lulloff. I, Marley Manoukian, Adagio from Clarinet Concerto – Mozart, Oxarart. II, Shay Garfield, Fantasy Piece - Schumann, Oxarart. I, Bella Mackey , Sonata in F - Telemann, DeVries. I, Mary Kalal, Passepied - Debussey, Oxarart. II, Cru Darrah, Aria and Scherzo - Fox, Lulloff. II, Joanie Sjostrom, Sonata II - Handel, DeVries. II, Konner Kuehn, Halagueno - Chenette, Oxarart. I, Devon Raybon, Sonata V - Galliard, Oxarart. II, Grant O'Brien, LaRejouissance - Telemann, Lulloff. II, Catherine McMahon, Andante and Rondo - Fox, Lulloff. I, Travis Epperson, Scherzo in C Minor - Koepke, DeVries. II, Kalen Wiebe, Forty Fathoms - Walters, Lulloff. II, Marley Manoukian/Travis Epperson, Duet V – Barrett. II, Dede Johannesen/Shay Garfield, Canon – Thome/Menuet – Mozart. I, Sax Quartet – Ronni Erickson/Kelsey Kuehn/Markelle Lett, Tyler Ost, The Entertainer – Joplin arr. Schuberg. I, Clarinet Choir –Emmy Doucette, Jessica Weise, Marley Manoukian, Catherine McMahon, Shay Garfield, Travis Epperson, Evie McCorkle, 3rd Movement from Symphony No. 94 – Haydn arr. Johnson. I, Jazz Band – Mary Kalal, Cru Darrah, Cole Brown, Keenan VanWichen, Tyler Ost, Devon Raybon, BlakeSjostrom, Kalen Wiebe, Jeremy Costin, Konner Kuehn, Jenise Amestoy, Hailey Nicholson, Tel Jenson Tyson Carney, Collin Holman, Grant O'Brien, Nate Costin, Joanie Sjostrom, The Cardinal Shuffle – Bob Washut, Act Your Age – Gordon Goodwin, arr. Blair. I, Drum Line – Taryn Shores, Hailey Olson, Nate Costin, Amanda Mummey, Tyson Carney, Marley Manoukian, Cole Brown, Devon Raybon, Grant O'Brien, Emmy Doucette, Chase Murray, Riley Mortenson, Grace Doucette, Reed Veit, Jacob Czereda, Drum Line Medley – Cassidy Byars. II, Percussion Machine – Tyson Carney, Nate Costin, Taryn Shores, Hailey Olson, Amanda Mummey, Jada Nicholson, Reed Veit, Dawn Jenkins , The Groove Machine – Chris Brooks. I, Mosaic Percussion Ensemble – Tyson Carney, Nate Costin, Taryn Shores, Hailey Olson, Amanda Mummey, Jada Nicholson, Mosaics – Jared Spears. I, Jazz Combo – Jeremy Costin, Collin Holman, Tyson Carney, Mary Kalal, Tyler Ost, Nate Costin, Grant O'Brien, Cole Brown, Konner Kuehn, Joanie Sjostrom, Unclean Waters – Dirty Dozen Brass Band arr. Engebretson, Groove Merchant – Jerome Richardson, Cold Duck Time – Eddie Harris. I Performance I Sight Reading, Malta Concert Band, Renaissance Dance Fever – Susato/Gervaise arr. Singleton Whirlybird – Todd Stalter.

Whitewater High School Results

Whitewater High School Band: Performance II, Sightreading I

Whitewater High School Choir: Performance II

White Wings Ensemble I, Whitewater Choir Ensemble I, Whitewater Women's Choir II, Kourtney Simonson I, Simonson Duet I, Whitewater Band Ensemble I, Jeret Warren I, Martell/Sanguins Duet II, Teal Martell I.

Seven events qualified for State Music Festival. All 16 high school students that performed in Solos/Ensembles are eligible in at least one event to participate at State Music Festival @ Billings Skyview on May 1 & 2.