The arts are a huge part of life here at MAHS, but for some students, they don’t stop at our high school. On January 7-9, seniors Alice Ravert, Savanna Farley, Grace Barkauskas, and sophomore Christian Berwanger attended the District 8 Choir festival at Susquehanna University.
District Choir is a yearly auditioned opportunity for high school choir students grades 10-12 run by the District 8 branch of the Pennsylvania Music Educator’s Association (PMEA).
There have been several MAHS students who have attended festivals like District Choir in the past.
Ravert and Barkauskas have attended choir and band festivals, respectively, but this was Berwanger’s first time. “Firsts” like these often come with nerves.
“At first I was quite nervous however as [the] day continued those feelings subsided, and it all was fun,” said Berwanger.
Preparation for the festival is a big part of helping anxiety go away.
“[I] work really hard to focus on all of the little expressive details in the music to bump up [her] interpretation scores,” said Choir festival veteran Ravert.
Barkauskas said she finds it helpful to practice with a friend. She felt it helped her feel prepared and more comfortable with the music.
“Savanna and I practiced together almost every day the week before the festival,” said Barkauskas.
After the auditions are over, festivals are a lot of fun! “I saw my friends from Benton, Williamsport, and Loyalsock!,” Ravert said.
Berwanger said that he saw people he knew but also had opportunities to meet and work with new people.
One of the best things about these events is getting to learn from a new conductor. This year’s conductor was Dr. Francis Cathlina from the University of Memphis.
“I personally loved Dr. Cathlina,” said Barkauskas. “When he voice placed us (putting us next to people we would sound the best near) it was fascinating to watch. It really showed that he is a great musician and knows exactly what he’s doing.”
Berwanger thought the conductor genuinely cared about the choir and the sound it was making.
Even though preparing for the concert is (arguably) the best part, District Choir is still a competition!
Ravert will be moving on to Region Choir, which will be hosted at Northwest High School, February 18-20.
“I am very excited about advancing,” Ravert said, “but I am not a fan of the eight pieces we have to learn.”
District choir was a unique and fun experience for all who participated. It was a joy to make music in such a large ensemble with such talented people!
Melody & Musings: A closer look inside the festival experience
This is my 2nd year going to District Choir, and although I definitely don’t have as much experience as Ali (who has been to – I think – eight choir festivals at various levels) it was SO nice to have a festival already under my belt! Auditions are kind of a scary and crazy experience even though you’re singing for less than a minute total. It’s nice to know what to expect! And once audition day is over, then the rest of the festival is pretty much a breeze! I’m a bit of a music nerd, but I love singing at festivals because it’s literally ALL you do besides eat. I’m being so serious right now. We sing and eat. That’s it.
The one part that wasn’t as fun as it sounds was commuting to the festival. Since it was only 45 minutes away, we met at the high school and drove to Susquehanna every day. The first day it was great – we stopped for dinner on the way and got there in plenty of time! But the downside was that we got done so late and we didn’t get to our houses until almost 11pm. Then, we had to be at the school the next morning at 7:30 for a full day of rehearsal, and the same thing again on Friday! Fun, but super tiring!
Don’t let this scare you! The music we made was wonderful and I wouldn’t trade these experiences for anything. I will forever treasure the memories I’ve made. The challenges are always present, but it’s always better when you have amazing friends by your side!
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Ali and I, upon request of our moms, pose for a picture after the concert! After the performance is done, singers have the opportunity to grab their belongings from the dressing rooms and then go see their families and friends who came to see the concert! |
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An inside look at the pre-concert photo shoot! Getting photos with the PMEA banner is a tradition for most schools, Montoursville included. Here, the senior girls posed for one to commemorate their last District Choir! |
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A snapshot of the performance! This photo was taken during the women’s piece, which was so fun to sing on stage. You’ll see Grace and I in royal blue and gold mixed in! |
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Shout-out to Christian! This was his first opportunity to go to a festival and he did great. We’re crossing our fingers that he moves onto Region Choir next year! |
Featured image (at top): Seniors Alice Ravert, Savanna Farley, Grace Barkauskas, and sophomore Christian Berwanger pose for a pre-concert photo at the District Choir festival. This took place at Susquehanna University in January. Photo provided by Savanna Farley
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