On Jan. 27 a waxy moon lit an overfilled parking lot at Houston Middle School. There wasn’t a seat not taken nor a parking space empty as the band and choir elite gathered. A talented showcase of music students from the Mat-Su middle and high schools represented their schools at the Matanuska-Susitna Borough School District High School and Middle School Honor Festival. More than 250 students, 11 to 17 years old sat in their black and white ensembles as they performed pieces directed by the gifted guest conductors, Willy Shelton, Gleo Huyck and Dr. Vincent Cee. Close to 500 proud parents and family members watched as the students performed a range of selections from jazz numbers to familiar classics. 

Honor band has been a part of the Valley music scene since the early 1990s, allowing students and teachers of music to exhibit their musical talent. Originally united with the elementary school festival, the middle and high schools separated around nine years ago because it made all ages too long of a performance.

The Honor Festival is a high-anxiety showcase for music teachers to publicly display their achievements from hours of practice.   At HMS the selection process is based off auditions open to 7th- and 8th-graders and the occasional outstanding 6th-grader. Being an honor music student requires a great deal of commitment. As an example, HMS music students meet every other day for 45 minutes plus the two days of hard practice prior to the honor concert. An honor band or choir student can expect up to 2,000 hours of practice as a music student during the school year.

For teachers, over 100 hours can be expected to be spent outside the classroom working on arrangements and preparations. At least that’s how many hours Toby Lambert, Colony Middle School music director estimates he logged in.  

Eric Robson, HMS music director wouldn’t have it any other way. The “preparation for high school” that honor band and choir provides is priceless. The middle school students are able to witness and experience the caliber of music that they will be expected of them in their upcoming high school careers.

Seventh-grader Bailey Murr, soprano choir member, agrees. Murr says that she found that she wasn’t embarrassed to sing in front of strangers and she learned to hit some notes that she had struggled with previously. Her favorite song was “Gloria” because she enjoyed learning its Latin words.

It is a reason like these that music teachers such as Lambert and Robson believe the honor festival also encourages collaboration between students from around the school district to create an ensemble that builds unity among all music students.

 

Marilena Staudenmeier is a senior at Houston High School.