The Chesterton High School Wind Ensemble received a Gold superior rating for both their stage performance and their sight-reading performance at the Indiana State School Music Association’s (ISSMA) Northern State Qualifying competition hosted this past weekend at Chesterton High School.
All the high school concert bands and orchestras from the northern part of Indiana came together to take part the event at CHS. Similar events were hosted around the state at Pike High School, Warren Central High School, and Bedford North Lawrence High School to determine the top 16 concert bands and top 8 symphony orchestras in the state for 2017. These groups will then take part in the ISSMA State Concert Organization Championship event this Friday and Saturday, May 5 and 6 at Lawrence Central High School in Indianapolis.
The CHS Wind Ensemble’s three selections for their stage performance included the energetic and dramatic work “Esprit de Corps,” which was composed by Robert Jager as a tribute to the United States Marine Band. The group’s second selection was an emotional hymn-like arrangement of the familiar 19th century folk song “Shenandoah,” which was arranged for band by Frank Ticheli. The band ended their stage performance with a piece from Indiana composer Richard Saucedo. The work, aptly named “Snow Caps,” was meant to depict the beauty and majesty of the Rocky Mountains.
In addition to a prepared stage performance, all the high school concert bands and orchestras participate in a sight-reading competition. During the sight-reading portion of the event, each group is timed and evaluated while the director and students discuss the technical and musical demands of a designated piece of music. The students can be instructed to clap through rhythms, or even sing specific parts that will present a challenge but they can’t play a note on their instruments until told to do so by the judge. Once the brief preparation time is over, the ensemble must play the piece straight through without stopping. During this time, the judge continues to evaluate every aspect of the performance, while making both written and recorded comments for the group’s director and students. This process is designed to reveal the student’s base level of musicianship and technique of each group in the competition.
Members of the CHS Wind Ensemble include: Amera Abuhakmeh, Leam Armstrong, Hailey Ayala, Abby Billings, Trey Bonnema, Ethan Botts, Aaron Brookhouse, Colin Campbell, Andrew Cernick, Alyssa Cole, Madison Comfort, Adam Davis, Eleanor Didonna, Carol Dilts, Gavin Dooley, Tristan Dooley, Annabelle Engel, Laura Estridge, Andrew Figg, Alexander Fine, Blake Fletcher, Sailor Franklin, David Gerth, Madison Ghoreishi, Anthony Hampton, James Hawley, Allison Henry, Nathan Herr, David Hodgkiss, Mark Hodgkiss, Rebekah Hoffmann, Julia Hunter, Abigail Joesten, Jack Jones, Holly Kittredge, David Kosakowski, Anthony Langley, Ethan Mahaffey, Hannah Maluvac, Zane Mauke, Shaye McCarthy, Elissa McNicholas, Kaylee Mullins, Violet Needham, Dimitri Nicholson, Max Owens, Abby Palmer, Bryan Pamintuan, Nolan Poczekay, Megan Pratt, Kylie Sabol, Sydney Sarver, Delaney Schavey, Chris Sexton, Brett Sivadon, Payton Stobbe, Rebecca White, Brooke Wilson, Harley Wines and Jacob Winland. The director of the CHS Wind Ensemble is Michael Scheiber.
For additional information about this, or any music department event, please contact the CHS Music Department at 983-3730.