On Saturday, March 28th, around 40 high school music students participated in the Iowa High School Music Association State Solo & Ensemble contest held at Grinnell High School. These students worked very hard in preparation for this competition, and performed very well!
On the vocal side, six students competed as soloists. Addyson Asher performed “The Water is Wide” and received a Division II rating, with the judge noting “You are a very pleasant performer, and do a nice job of involving the audience.” Maelys Beachy performed “Black is the Color of My True Love’s Hair,” and “Bluebird” and received a Division II rating, with the judge noting “You exude confidence. Great work with this; very well prepared!” Jillian Clark performed “Au Bord De L’eau” and “Cloudshadows” and received a Division I rating, with the judge noting “Nice lovely, bright tone. You sing softly so incredibly well.” Fiona McClellen performed “Into the Night” and received a Division I rating, with the judge noting “Such a poised and polished performance; a lovely rich tone.” Addison Skelton performed “Scarborough Fair” and received a Division I rating, with the judge noting “Thank you for singing with dynamic contrast; very polished.” Parker Thomas performed “Vittoria, mio core” and received a Division I rating, with the judge noting “Very musical performance and well prepared; you have a pleasant demeanor when you sing.”
For vocal ensembles, the Madrigal Choir (Maëlys Beachy, Jillian Clark, Ryann Dolan, Drea McCain, Fiona McClellen, Ruby Newton, Rebekah Rand, Lael Seale, Georgia White, Greyson Ghumm, Seth Groenewold, Abrielle Kraus, Marq Lucas, Eli Tandy, and Parker Thomas) performed “Gaudete!” and “A Babe is Born” and received a Division I rating. The judge commented “Lovely work to everyone! These are two tough pieces and you tackled them well.” The Royal Court sopranos and altos (Maëlys Beachy, Jillian Clark, Ryann Dolan, Abrielle Kraus, Drea McCain, Fiona McClellen, Ruby Newton, Rebekah Rand, Lael Seale, Georgia White) performed “Ding-a Ding-a Ding” and received a Division I rating, with the judge commenting “Well done! Lots of great singing going on here.” A quartet of Meredith Campbell, Fiona McClellen, Stella Miller and Rebekah Rand sang the piece “Grace” for comments only. The judge noted “Nice free tones; Beautiful singing today ladies! This group sounds great together!”
On the instrumental side, four students competed as soloists. Daniella Bohlen performed her clarinet piece “Etude in B Minor” and received a Division II rating, with the judge noting “Impressive performance and good attention to articulation.” Jillian Clark performed her clarinet piece “Romance from the Stamitz clarinet Concerto No. 3” and received a Division II rating. The judge noted “Good start on tone; you are ready for a more difficult piece; go for it!” Wren Harris performed her oboe piece “Piece in G Minor” and received a Division II rating, with the judge noting “Great start on a good oboe sound!” Brock Lowenberg performed a timpano solo “Sonata for Timpani” and received a Division I rating. The judge noted “Fantastic! Very emotional; great use of contrast.”
A saxophone duet of Meredith Campbell and Fiona McClellen performed “Mozart Duets No. 1 and No. 2” and received a Division II rating. The judge noted “Good in mid range; add vibrato as you are ready for it!” A trumpet trio of Brayden Miller, Rachel Lamb, and Chase Clark performed “March” and “Finlandia” and received a Division II rating, with the judge noting “Well prepared.” A flute trio with Madison Reinier, Matt Mohling, and Lilly Redig performed “Chorale” and received a Division I rating. The judge noted “Good individual tone. You seem to enjoy each other and the flute; Keep up the good work!” A saxophone quartet with Thomas Lueck, Wren Harris, Daniella Bohlen, and Jesse Stultz performed “The Stars and Stripes Forever” and received a Division I rating, with the judge noting “Great! You made it come alive and it was fun to listen to! Bravo!” A clarinet quartet with Daniella Bohlen, Jillian Clark, Stella Miller, and Arthur Righter performed “The Happy Farmer” and “Last Spring” and received a Division I rating. The judge commented “Great overall balance with great sounds.” A brass sextet with Brayden Miller, Rachel Lamb, Tatiana Furman, Millana Kazakov, Chase Clark, and Jillian Clark performed Trumpet Voluntary and received a Division I rating, with the judge noting “Nice brass sounds for this piece; good balance and blend - nice to hear all the parts.” A string quartet with Lara Brenneman, Ella Chiang, Millana Kazakov, and Benaiah Rodrigues, under the direction of Sheila Raim at the MP Home School, performed “Por Una Cabeza” and received a Division I rating. The judge noted “Great sounds; very professional!”
A very special mention for Brock Lowenberg, who received the coveted BEST OF CENTER award for his timpani solo performance. This signifies that out of all the performances at that center (approximately 35 performances) Brock was considered the BEST!! This is a great honor, and Brock will be invited to play his piece at the Iowa High School Music Association Best of Center Showcase in Ames this coming May. Congratulations, Brock!
Below are the Division ratings given by the Iowa High School Music Association:
Division I – Superior
An outstanding performance in nearly every detail. Not perfect, but representative of the highest level a student can achieve at this stage.
Division II – Excellent
A strong and commendable performance with minor inconsistencies or areas for growth.
Division III – Good
A solid performance that shows progress and potential, with developing consistency, technique, and musical understanding.
Division IV – Developing
A performance that reflects effort and commitment, with clear opportunities to strengthen foundational skills.
Division V – Emerging
An early-stage performance where continued preparation and guidance will support future growth.