Record number of ARHS students recommended to All-State Music Festival
On November 16, 2024, high school musicians from many Massachusetts towns gathered at Westfield State University for the MMEA Western District Senior Music Festival Auditions.
The MMEA Western District Senior Music Festival Auditions is run by teachers in Western Massachusetts, including the director of the choral program and music program at ARHS, Todd Fruth, who also manages the website for the Western District. Participants must be in an ensemble to audition for the festival. “It’s open to both public and private [school students],” said Fruth. Home school students just need a sponsor to participate.
The reason why a student may attend varies. They are either there just to participate in the MMEA Western District Senior Music Festival, or to receive a recommendation to audition for All-State in January. Even if some students get recommended, they might not show up.
The number of students who attend the music festival usually ranges from 400-500. However, since the COVID-19 pandemic, that number has dipped down to 300-400, with about 20-30 students from ARHS.
For each instrument, the top half accepted receive a recommendation to audition for All-State. This year, 25 of the 30 students received a recommendation for All-State, which is higher than usual. “[It’s] really fantastic,” said Fruth. “I’m very proud of our students.”
The requirements for the audition vary, depending on the student’s instrument and desired ensemble. Each audition typically takes 10 to 20 minutes. Instrumentalists are judged on their intonation, dynamics, articulations, and smoothness while playing their scales, solo piece, and their sight reading. For vocalists, the judges look to see if they are free from tension, breathing fully, and taking advantage of their resonating space.
One reason Fruth believes it’s important for students to participate in auditions like these is it provides students with the opportunity to be able to play in bigger groups with different people while also allowing students to challenge and grow themselves. “Preparing pieces with a level of thoughtfulness and precision is tremendously valuable in itself,” said Fruth.
Fruth also provides additional support for students during certain times of the school day. Students can come by during lunch or flex to work on independent things. Students in Chorale learn the audition piece together as an ensemble and they also sing for each other. “It simulates auditions,” said Fruth.
Fruth’s motivation to become a music teacher stems from helping students grow themselves as musicians and artists. He values creating community through music. “Singing is one of the most vulnerable things you can do. And through that vulnerability, you can connect very deeply to other people,” said Fruth.
ARHS sophomore Ella Wang heard about the auditions back when she was attending the Bement School. She had participated in the junior districts at the time and she had fun with it.
As a flutist, she played Mozart’s Flute Concerto No. 2 in D major. Although Wang had practiced for 50 hours beforehand throughout the previous month, it didn’t stop her from being nervous. “I was worried I wouldn’t get in at all,” she said.
For Wang’s musical future, she doesn’t have any plans to major in music. She mostly just does music for pleasure. “If I find a [music] community; it might be fun,” said Wang. “But it’s not part of my career plan.”
Another student who was also there was ARHS senior James Hall. Hall auditioned with and has been playing the bassoon since he was in fourth grade. During the audition, he played Marcello: Sonata in A-minor, and his favorite thing about the audition and about playing an instrument in general is playing in an ensemble. “It’s not the same on your own,” said Hall.
His inspiration for playing the bassoon derives from his experience with the bass recorder in fifth grade and the cello since he was five years old. But the reason he started playing an instrument was his dad. “My dad played cello, and I wanted to play an instrument [myself],” said Hall.
For students to register, all they need to do is fill out a form on the MMEA Western District website and pay a small fee. After that, they wait for their teacher to fully register them.
Even if some may not continue playing an instrument after high school, the audition still provides students with community, feedback, and good practice if they choose to audition again in the future. “I believe that every audition you go through will make the next one easier,” said Fruth.
