Local students take part in choir, band fest

Performing in a school concert with friends is easy, but some “all-star” students expanded their comfort zone a notch Saturday.

About 200 students — many of them from six local high schools — came together for a day of growth that culminated in a community concert Saturday afternoon at Menominee Indian High School for the 14th annual Central Wisconsin Conference All-Star Band and Choir Festival.

“Each director from band or chorus, respectively, they nominate students from their group who they think are excelling or are very successful musicians,” said Julia Flanagan, choir director for Menominee Indian High School. “All of the strong musicians from each of the schools, they work with clinicians and have small and large group clinics throughout the day.”

Alyssa Roe, a Gresham Community School choir student, was eager to be part of a larger group.

“It’s really neat. We get to learn lots more stuff with our voice and what we can do with it,” Roe said. “It’s neat working with so many other people. We can have everyone together, and it just sounds amazing.”

The challenge for Taylor Hoffman, another Gresham Community School student, was learning a new singing range. Hoffman, a soprano in her school choir, had to learn Saturday’s music as an alto.

“It was interesting, but I got the hang of it,” Hoffman said. “I didn’t think I could sing alto.”

In previous years, Flanagan said she has seen her students make new strides and stretch themselves as musicians because of the festival.

“I think they have a greater motivation in both the all-star festival prep as well as in class,” Flanagan said. “Their dedication is evident because they’re clearly putting in extra time and effort, since this isn’t part of their course work. They’re going above and beyond to pursue something they’re enjoying.”

The festival featured composers Quincy C. Hilliard and Brad Burrill, who traveled to Keshena to work with the voices from the conference’s 19 schools. The concert also featured a piece by each composer among the 10 songs.

Burrill, who directed the choir, directed at the festival for the first time. He said it was challenging bringing together a group of 100 students who had practiced the music either on their own or with a small group.

“I’ve really enjoyed working with these kids,” Burrill said. “As a conductor, I teach also. It’s not a totally new experience, but it’s nice in this format.”

Noah Treptow, a Bonduel High School band student, was eager to embrace Hilliard’s music. The band performed “The Day the Clowns Cried,” a piece Hilliard composed based on a tragedy in Hartford, Conn., where a fire in a circus tent killed 168 people, two-thirds of them children.

“It’s a once-in-a-lifetime experience. I’ll probably never get to work with Quincy again, so this is a cool thing,” Treptow said. “I like that it tells a story. There’s always a story to his music, and you hear the story in his music.”

Treptow, who plays the baritone saxophone, also liked being part of the festival because it introduced him to other people who share his passion for music. He said he learned some new things, including a few musical techniques he hadn’t used previously.