Hello y’all!

Last weekend I competed in my first regional level solo and ensemble festival. For those who have never heard of such an event, let me explain. In simple terms, it is a school hosted music festival, where students prepare pieces of music, either vocal or instrumental, and performing in front of a judge. They are scored based on their musical ability, use of the space, and emotion in the music.

I participated in 2 solo pieces, a duet, and a group number. I scored a 1 on all pieces, which can be conceded a 1st. In all honesty, I was not expecting to earn these scores for my first attempt at a solo and ensemble, however, I am incredibly grateful that I did.

My two solo pieces were C’est Moi from the Musical Camelot, and For You There is No Song by Leslie Adams. Both of these pieces tested my skills in vocal music, which both judges complemented. In the case of C’est Moi, I also was scored on my use of the space, which I plan to improve at my state level performace. (Oh yea, my C’est Moi performance earned a 1* which offers you the chance to compete at a state level solo and ensemble, which is also insanely cool).

The duet I performed with one of my long time best friends (I won’t be naming them for their own privacy). We performed A Capital Ship, a sea shanty styled piece. We also earned a 1* on this performance and will be headed to state.

Taking a step back and reflecting on this solo and ensemble festival, I am overall incredibly grateful for the judge’s notes, as they will become my foundation for further practice in preparing for state. I would also like to shout out my vocal teacher, who has worked with me on both solo pieces I brought to the event. While she is a prominent vocal teacher in my local area, I don’t have permission from her to feature her in this post, so I won’t for now.

All of this to say, solo and ensemble was an amazing experience, and I look forward to next years!