The Eagle Grove Elementary and Middle School building has been selected by the Iowa High School Music Association (IHSMA) as a site for the State Solo and Small Ensemble music festival. 162 performances by hundreds of students from eight schools in the 2A conference will be held in the event, scheduled (no fooling) for the first of April. Most of the students in the Eagle Grove music program will be among those to perform.
"We expect it to be a big event," said Eagle Grove band instructor Justin Schwake. "We know that we will have about 200 unique student participants coming in from outside the district."
Performances will include vocal and instrumental solos, small instrumental groups, small ensembles, and small choirs (each of no more than 24 performers).
The performances will be judged, but will also be open the public. A free will donation of at least $3 for adults, and $1 for children is, however, encouraged.
"It is exciting because Eagle Grove hasn't hosted it in a long time," Schwake said.
"Many students are about to participate in one of the finer experiences they will have during their high school days," read a letter sent to parents by the IHSMA, which also explains the rating system.
A panel of judges with a minimum of five years experience as music educators who have proven their abilities of judges will rate performances in five divisions, with a Division I rating denoting a superior performance which is perfect, or nearly perfect, and a Division V going only to a poor performance lacking a "legitimate effort." Of all the performers, just four ill be selected by the judges to perform an All-State Recital at Iowa State University.
"The whole point is – the festival is a part of the music education program in your school, not the ultimate goal," the letter to parents notes. "It is a snapshot in time of any given performance." And even students who had flawless performances in practices can fall prey "to such things as colds, dry lips or throats, a bad reed, over-confidence, under-confidence, etc.", the letter notes, urging participants to take pride in their achievements even when they don't receive the highest marks. "Let’s allow the festival to be
a fun time and a learning time for everyone. Let’s not allow it to be spoiled by over-emphasis on a rating system. Keep in mind, like every other aspect of American life, the important thing is the journey, the festival result is just a benchmark along that journey!"
Of course, before any of that can happen, there's a lot of work to be done. "Right now we're in the throes of planning and preparing it all," said Schwake. "We will need lots of help to make the festival a success."
The Eagle Grove Music Boosters will be providing refreshments through the day, Schwake said. Anyone interested in helping out with the festival can attend the Music Boosters meeting Thursday, March 9th at 5:30 pm in the Elementary/Middle School Library. Those able to help with baked goods should reach out to ktweeten@eagle-grove.k12.ia.us. Anyone interested in helping with the festival in any other ways can contact Justin Schwake (jschwake@eagle-grove.k12.ia.us) or Sandy Muzzey (smuzzey@eagle-grove.k12.ia.us). Or, to reach out by phone, dial 515-448-5143.
