By Crystal Hayduk, photo gallery by Chris Hilgendorf Photography
Enthusiasm, performance jitters, elation, and despair mixed with the music of instrumental students from more than 45 districts as Chelsea High School hosted the Michigan School Band and Orchestra Association’s (MSBOA) State Solo and Ensemble (S&E) on March 18 for the first time since 2019.
Despite the long wait for the final results, Chelsea has a lot to be proud of.
Band
Owen Critchfield (’23) was named to the Honors Band by the MSBOA for his solo performance on French horn. “Chelsea has a good music program, which prepared me for the challenges and musical growth of having a private teacher, Tamara Kosinski,” he said.
Prior to 2020, students selected for special honors as a result of their State S&E performance would play at the Michigan Youth Arts Festival (MYAF). Even though it was canceled again, Critchfield participated in S&E with encouragement from band director Alison Roberts and his parents.
He also hoped to perform in the CHS Senior Concerto Concert in April, and competing at states was a prerequisite.
Roberts said Critchfield has not only demonstrated a great deal of commitment to his instrument but is also a musical leader in the band who does his part to make the band better.
She said she’s not surprised he was chosen for the Honors Band because “… he’s an incredible musician with a great work ethic.”
Crediting her band students overall, Roberts said many ensembles competed this year, earning the highest rating possible in every category (tone, intonation, technique, rhythm, and musicality).
Orchestra
Seren Angus (’24, bass) and Megan Hayduk (’23, violin) were named to the Honors Orchestra for their solo performances.
Angus, Phoebe Harris (’23, cello), and Peter Mourad (’23, piano) were nominated to compete for outstanding soloist on March 31 at Central Michigan University. Although no Chelsea students made it past the first of the two-round auditions this year, it’s still noteworthy since each State S&E judge can nominate only one student to compete.
The orchestra students said the State S&E competition grading is based on more than playing a solo. Their final score also includes sight-reading a previously unprepared piece and playing scales. To test for Proficiency 3 (the highest proficiency at State S&E), the judge assigns any four major or melodic minor scales out of more than two dozen possible scales, plus any chromatic scale. With no advance notice to practice specific scales, the students need to be prepared for anything.
The school’s chamber orchestra was nominated to compete for outstanding small ensemble—a first in known history for the group, according to Nathan Peters, CHS orchestra’s assistant director.
Hayduk, the chamber orchestra’s concertmaster, attributes this spring’s success to the choice of music. “It was more challenging than in the past few years,” she said. “Students were motivated to practice more on their own so we would sound good at the Hometown Holidays in December, when we first performed it.”
The chamber orchestra is a smaller group of students from the symphony orchestra class who commit to rehearsing before school, as scheduled by the director. Even though chamber music is expected to be more difficult than music they play in class, Hayduk said the music was easier in 2021-22 “…because we were just starting to be in person and play together again coming out of the pandemic.”
This year, nominated ensembles submitted a recording to compete. With only two days’ notice before the district’s spring break and the submission deadline, students arrived at 6:45 a.m. to record. Twice, overhead announcements interrupted the recording, and then heavy rain could be heard over the music. Because the 10-minute piece must be played all the way through without editing, the group ran out of time to try again under better conditions.
Despite the recording day challenges of fatigue and extraneous sounds and the disappointment about not getting a final win, Hayduk is gratified with the chamber’s nomination to compete. “I hope the students who are in it next year will see this as an attainable goal and practice even more,” she said.
Chamber orchestra musicians include (in alphabetical order): Seren Angus, Samantha Bieber, Ryan Frederiksen, Joshua Gregory, Evan Grudzinski, Amelia Hallsell, Phoebe Harris, Megan Hayduk, Shane McLaughlin, Luke Mourad, Peter Mourad, Brooklyn Nguyen, Lily Paddock, Sonja Schemahorn, and Jenna Velky.
Private teachers of orchestra students who received special honors include Bethany Bagbey, Lester Castellana, Sara Cumming, Jed Fritzemeier, Rebecca Kaltz, Nathan Peters, and Julie Zinn.
Peters said, “We are very proud of our hard-working music students. We had a banner year with many students being recognized as top musicians in the state.”
Chelsea can anticipate more musical successes in future years with many underclassmen who prioritize music and encourage their peers. Freshman Josh Gregory said performing for others and rehearsing with an accompanist as often as possible helps him to prepare for competitions. Junior Lily Paddock, who likes to push her musical experience, said she takes a deep breath and assumes her “Superman pose” before competitions.
Roberts said hosting an event of the magnitude of State S&E is a huge undertaking. Chelsea School District had hosted it prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, but the event scheduled for March 14, 2020 was canceled in response to the Michigan Stay Home, Stay Safe order. State S&E was canceled again in 2021, but was held virtually with recorded entries in 2022.
“We’re very thankful for all of the student and parent volunteers who helped make the event run so smoothly,” said Roberts.
Sophomore Gavin Cagney, a baritone, earned the highest score (1) at the Michigan School Vocal Music Association State S&E on April 15 at Jackson Northwest High School. His private teacher is Wendy Treacher.
Cagney (who also plays tuba in the band) was the only Chelsea choir student who participated in the event. “Solo and Ensemble supplies a personal growth experience where students get direct feedback about their own voice from some of the best voice and choir teachers in the state,” said Aaron Pollard, CHS vocal music director.
“Gavin is a leader,” said Pollard. “His positive presence is felt throughout the entire music hallway. There are few students who appreciate music making at a high level like Gavin.”
