Chicago Height School District 170 recently hosted the Illinois Grade School Music Association's District VI Solo and Ensemble Contest at Washington-McKinley School.
The event featured approximately 450 fifth- through eighth-grade students from schools throughout the south suburban area who performed vocal, string, woodwind, percussion, piano, and brass solo/ensemble selections.
Eleven judges listened to and rated performances on Intonation, Pitch Accuracy, Balance, Blend, Interpretation, Dynamics, Musicianship, Rhythmic Accuracy, Technique, Diction, and Stage Presentation.
CHSD170 band students who participated at the competition included Kadin Albor, Alexis Banuelos, Jonathan Castillo, Samantha Esquivel, Eduardo Garcia, Ben Krysinski, Cesar Lozano, Mariajose Martinez, Stevie McDonald, Isaiah Mota, Nathan Mota, Osvaldo Munoz, Dakota Piquion, Cecilia Rodriguez.
CHSD170 vocalists who participated at the competition included Ashli Dodson, Naima Dodson, Semaj Glinsey, Arliah Moutry-Macon, Casjanae Tate, Virginia Quezada, Karina Lopez, Eliana Puente, Jasmine Aviles, and Joyrdan Long.
The band students, under the direction of James Fallinske and Ted Hattan, performed solos accompanied by Music Teacher Carol Colonnelli on piano, while the choir students, under the direction and with the accompaniment of Music Director Alecia Dixon, performed both solo and ensemble pieces.
"The students had a great experience performing in front of an adjudicator and sometimes a small audience of family and their music teacher," Hattan said.
"The performers worked extremely hard to prepare for the competition and received positive feedback on their performance, including things they did well and ways in which they can improve their technique," added Dixon.
In addition to the performances by the students, the event was a great success due to the efforts of the SD170 Foundation and more than 50 administrators, teachers, parent and student volunteers who worked tirelessly during the seven-hour affair.
The volunteers, representing several CHSD170 schools, helped organize all aspects of the event, including monitoring warm-up rooms, serving food, maintaining a central office, keeping the schedule on track by coordinating the musicians outside of performance rooms, and passing out medals and ribbons to performers.
Students from District 170, Bloom High School and elsewhere also volunteered their time working as runners for the event and acting as liaisons between the performance rooms and the central office.
"We are grateful to everyone who helped to make the event such a great success," Dixon said.
"In addition to the performers, we offer our thanks to Assistant Superintendent Mary Kay Entsminger, Washington-McKinley Principal Dr. Gretchen Sutherland, Prairie State College, the Washington-McKinley School PTO, the members of the CHSD170 Music staff, and all of the volunteers who came together to help create a truly memorable occasion," she concluded.