By Annika Blackburn
How would you feel if you were about to perform a piece that you had been practicing for weeks in front of both a judge and an audience? If you are in either band, strings, or choir you have the opportunity to do just that. Next year, you could participate in the annual Solo-Ensemble event for just a small fee, fun rehearsals with friends, and an overall good experience. In the event, you are allowed to participate in up to two ensembles and solo for each instrument that you play (voices count as an instrument!).
Being in next year’s Solo-Ensemble event may be easier than you might think; all you have to do is ask your music (band, strings, choir, etc.) teacher for a permission slip, have a parent or guardian sign it, and bring it back to your teacher with eight dollars. If you decided to do a solo, then you may have to pay additional fees for an accompanist, also your teacher will probably help you find the right music for your performance.
After you have joined the event, it’s pretty simple, schedule rehearsal times with our friends (lunch would be a good time) and then just show up half an hour early to play in the event, a day or two later you will your score sheet. Solo-Ensemble is overall, a fun event that gives you good musical experience. I would personally recommend it for anyone in band, strings, choir, or if you play in instrument at home. You could also just come to support your friends and listen to some great music.
For the Solo Ensemble event I played the viola in quartet with three violin players. I had a very memorable, enjoyable, experience. We performed a Trepak, a dance movement from the Nutcracker Ballet. I learned a lot from both preparing and the actual performance of the piece. We practiced together with the assistance of our strings teacher, Mr. Santana almost everyday during our lunch period. We had troubles in the beginning, the rhythms were especially tricky for me, but we worked through it and got better everyday. Our teacher was very helpful and supportive, we could not have done it without him. Like I said earlier, rehearsing with friends was so much fun, a truly unforgettable experience for me.
On the evening of the actual event, we all started to get pretty nervous. Our song, and all of the hard work that we put into it was about to be judged by an expert musician. I can still remember my heart beating so hard and nearly escaping my chest. When we entered the room, I was very surprised to see what a large audience we had; families, peers, other performers, and of course Mr. Santana.
After our friend finished a beautiful piano piece, it was our turn to step up to the plate. I can still remember the burning lights and the anticipation coming from the audience. I just couldn’t believe what I was doing. After the longest moment of silence, we played our piece. What were happy to learn not only learn what we had done well, but also some constructive criticism. We had needed to be more animated and faster, we needed to play like there were actual ballerinas dancing to our music. I guess we were really nervous, but overall I was very happy with the score that I received the next day. There were some rough spots in the process, but overall we really enjoyed our experience all the way from the beginning to the end.
If you are thinking about doing Solo Ensemble next year, keep these things in mind. You get a lot better at your instrument by getting individual comments. When we are in strings class, we are in a big class. We are all playing at the same time, and so Mr. Santana doesn’t get a chance to give each one of us individual comments. We all get general comments, but each one of us doesn’t get to fix everything that we do wrong. In Solo Ensemble, we got a chance to practice in smaller groups. We got more comments, both from Mr. Santana when we practiced, and from the judge at the performance. For example, we were able to work on making each note on tune. We also worked on making the music louder and softer, in the right places.
Another thing to keep in mind is that you can also improve as a musician by learning from your friends. Your friends can help you fix mistakes and understand what the teacher says. They also make sure you laugh along the way, have fun, and enjoy yourself and they can inspire you with something that they play. When you practice on your own, it is fun but it can sometimes get boring or frustrating, but not when you practice with friends.
I learned a lot at Solo Ensemble and I know I’ll learn just as much next year. I am already looking forward to practicing with my friends at lunch and talking to them and of course to the performance itself. I’ll try to keep all the comments I got this year, in mind next year so that I can play better. I loved Solo Ensemble, the excitement of the performance, the practicing with friends, and improving as a musician. Already, I can’t wait until next year.