Spotlighting Exceptional Talent

Four students represented Miss Hall’s in January at the Massachusetts Music Educators Association’s (MMEA) Western District Festival Concert January 18 at Minnechaug Regional High School, in Wilbraham.

Altos Yoyo Chen ’26 and Eleanor Jacobsen ’27, and soprano Anna White ’27 sang with the District Chorus, and violist Marianna Bartz ’27 performed with the District Concert Band.

The MMEA, which is the state division of the National Association for Music Education (formerly the Music Educators National Conference), sponsors annual District and State Music Festivals that are open to secondary school musicians in both public and private schools.

Miss Hall’s students have participated in the Festival Concert for nearly thirty-five years, and these MHS performers are exceptionally talented.

Members of Grace Notes (the School’s a cappella singing group) Yoyo, Eleanor, and Anna also regularly sing at school concerts and events, Eleanor and Anna are in the upcoming Theater Ensemble production of Twelfth Night, and Marianna performs with the MHS Chamber Ensemble, which she leads. This is the second year Eleanor has been selected to sing with the District Chorus.

To be chosen for the Festival, performers auditioned at Westfield State University in early November. Instrumentalists prepared a required solo piece, and singers prepared a vocal part of a required choral piece. All musicians also played scales and sight-read a short piece they have never seen, to determine their music reading skills. Selected students rehearse together twice, performing a concert after the second day of rehearsal.

Congratulations, to the MHS performers Music Department!