Last Saturday, April 27, choir, band and orchestra students participated in the State Solo and Ensemble Festival in Columbia, Missouri.

At Solo and Ensemble, students can either perform by themselves or in a group as they try to achieve a ‘1’, or a Superior rating, from independent judges critiquing their performance. From there, students can receive a ‘2’ (an Excellent rating), a ‘3’,  a (Good rating), and so on.

In order to qualify for the state-wide competition, music students must first receive a ‘1’ at a District State Solo and Ensemble Festival held in the weeks prior. 

 This year seniors Emily Assenmacher and LeAnna Cates were the only choir students to receive Superior ratings.

Assenmacher was surprised to get the rating she did.

“I didn’t think I did as well as I hoped,” Assenmacher said.

Assenmacher said it was the support she had from everyone involved that allowed her to earn the rating she did.

“I had support from my dad.” Assenmacher said. “He got me into singing.”

Assenmacher also noted Michele Rodgers, choir teacher, and her accompanist Pam Krebs as people who supported her as she prepared and went to the competition.

“I am very proud of the accomplishments, personal growth and hard work of the choir students who attend.” Rodgers said.

 In Orchestra, a total of 6 Superior ratings were given out:

Elizabeth Beers – Violin solo

David Budde – Violin solo

Alan Lu – Violin solo

Alan Lu – Viola solo

Vignesh Natarajan – Violin solo

Matthew Rho – Violin solo

 In anticipating the results, freshman Lizzy Beers wasn’t very optimistic.

“I was preparing myself for a 3,” Beers said.

Though she had practiced for the competition, Beers admits that she didn’t practice as much as she had for the District competition in March.

“I was completely shocked [to get a Superior rating],” Beers said.

 Lastly, in Band, four Superior ratings were given out:

Julie Park- Flute solo

Rose Choi- Flute solo

Madeline Wilmsen- Flute solo

Brendan Hagemeier, Sam Walker, Nick Christitan, Grant Descher- Saxophone quartet

 “I’m surprised, actually,” Brendan Hagemeier, member of the saxophone quartet, said about his group’s Superior rating.

In preparing for Districts, the group practiced every Thursday after school.

However, while preparing for the State competition, one of the quartet’s members, Grant Descher, could not make it to the weekly practices.

“We were hoping to not to get a 4 or a 5,” Hagemeier said.

Even without the advantage of group practices, the quartet managed to be the only group at Lafayette that received a Superior rating.