Each year, the Michigan School Band and Orchestra Association (MSBOA) presents the District Solo and Ensemble Festival at schools across the state. It's a chance for students to perform on their own or as a duet or small group, playing music that they've selected. Professional music educators serve as judges who rate their performances and often provide feedback. 

The highest possible score of 1 is recognition of a superior performance for the grade level. Students who earn a 1 qualify for the State Solo and Ensemble Festival which will take place Saturday, March 14th in Chelsea.

At the 2020 festival held January 25th at Onsted High School, 16 AHS Band members and 8 Orchestra members qualified for the state competition. 
 
These Orchestra members earned a score of 1:

• Nicky Jacobson - Cello Solo 
• Leif Knox - Bass Solo
• Gabriella Morris - Cello Solo
• Jalen Nieto-Smith - Cello Solo
• Dylan Sharp - Viola Solo
• Alyiah Fife, Jennavieve Russell and Caitlyn Tucker  - 1 Cello and 2 Violin Trio

These Band members earned a score of 1: 

• Leif Eklund - Tuba Solo
• Tyler Hinton - French Horn Solo
• Daisy Leal - Marimba Solo
• Thomas Maddox - Snare Solo
• Ella Slupe - French Horn Solo 
• Victoria Miller and Leah Sage - Flute Duet
• Matthew Antalek, Tyler Hinton and Maxwell Rhames - Trumpet Trio
• Emily Armentrout and Parker Farmer - Marimba Duet
• Rachel Bauer, Taylor Borton, Zach Duvall and Austen Howard - Saxophone Quartet 

"Solo and Ensemble Festival is a great way to work on tuning, listening, and ensemble sound in an intimate setting," said Aaron Mykeloff, Director of AHS Bands.  "It also motivates students to work on their own and become more proficient players."

"It takes a lot of dedication, practice and perseverance to participate in this event," said APS Orchestra Director Lorri Wittenkeller. "The orchestra students worked on their own and with me before and after school to master their music. Little, if any, time was taken during class." 

At the state level the standards are higher. Students must also perform musical proficiency exams, including scales and sight reading. The highest-rated participants are then asked to perform as part of the Michigan Youth Arts Festival Honors Band or Orchestra or as soloists or ensembles. 

Dan Kesterke is the Director of Bands at Siena Heights University and a long-time drummer / percussionist. We asked him to share his thoughts after the passing of Rush drummer Neil Peart.

*****

My love of Rush and Neil Peart’s drumming began when I was in high school. My friends and I would buy vinyl albums at New Moon Records in my hometown of Mt. Pleasant. There was a Rush section, and I would collect whatever was there. 

My introduction to Neil’s drumming was the song “Xanadu” off the “Farewell to Kings” album. I was astounded at his mastery of virtuosic fills, but also with his use of melodic percussion, including chimes and bells. 

I worked into the “Moving Pictures” album and, obviously, the most important track, "Tom Sawyer." It changed my perspective of what drumming in a band could be. If you watch the videos of thousands of Rush fans air drumming along with Neil you’ll see how important he was to the music.

Neil Peart’s life and his relationship with music was hard. He expected a lot of himself and his bandmates. At the height of Rush’s popularity, he lost his family to two random accidents. It took many long road trips and a reintroduction to drumming to bring him back to the music he loved. 

While Neil took his art seriously, he demanded space from his fans and bandmates, even though he created his art in front of millions of people. He was a deep thinker and a voracious reader of literature; a constant learner, too. He even changed his technique halfway through his career to achieve a higher level of playing.

Neil left Rush after the band's last tour to spend time with his family. My hope for all artists is that they're able to achieve that balance; a point where they can say they've accomplished what they set out to do and then can dedicate their remaining time on this planet to their children and spouses, partners, and other loved ones. 

May all of us embrace life, family and art as Neil Peart did.

- Dan Kesterke