On Saturday, April 12, junior Paula Casillas-Lopez, junior Shannon Fiddy, junior Nico Haywood, and junior Rebekkah Port participated in the MSVMA State Solo and Ensemble Festival, all receiving Division I ratings. Each student performed two songs and sight read for an adjudicator.
In addition to obtaining a Division I rating, Casillas-Lopez was chosen as an All State alternate, making her one of the top four soloists of the day. Having had past familiarity, Casillas-Lopez enjoyed the experience.
“My experience was great! Everyone gets nervous, including me, but I’ve done it quite a few times, so I think it’s gotten better,” Casillas-Lopez said. “Overall I just love getting feedback and being able to perform.”
During the duration of the festival, many memorable moments were made. For Port, a moment to be remembered was after her performance of “Die Bekehrte” by Max Stange, and “O Del Mio Dolce Ardor” by Christoph Willibald von Gluck.
“A memorable moment for me during this experience was when, after I performed my two songs, the adjudicator said to me: ‘Please become a singer,’” Port said. “It’s just a really great feeling to know that something you put so much work into brought so much joy to someone. That’s why I do want to become a singer/composer. That feeling of discovering a new, great song is unmatched, and I want to bring that exuberance to people.”
Following Port’s performance, she was named as one of the top three soloists from the entire festival site of around 200 singers. Port will perform her songs at the MSVMA All-State Festival at Michigan State University in May. Through this entire process, many lessons were taken away from small moments.
“Before I went into my warm-up room, my choir conductor, Mr. Wattleworth, noticed I was nervous and gave me a little pep talk. He said to me, among other things, ‘Just remember: you like to sing!’, and it really is such an important thing to remember,” Port said. “It’s easy to get caught up in what other people will think of you, and, while it is important to always be looking to improve, you should also find the time to appreciate the progress you have made.”
