Fifteen U-High choir students participated in the Illinois High School Association District Music Festival on March 2. All the vocalists who participated received a superior rating.
Vocal soloists: Sofia Ansari, Lily Davidson, ZC Findler, Gabi Novak, Sara Park, Kaavya Shriram, Sierra Stacy, Lena Valenti
Vocal trio: Max Mathias, Maurice Neuman, Lena Valenti
Vocal quartet: Tyler Chang, Delaney Connell, ZC Findler, Sara Park
The festival is more of a vocal evaluation than a competition, where the ensemble or soloist receives feedback from a judge and then a rating with Superior being the highest rating.
“If you don’t receive the best rating, I think that’s a really good learning experience,” Gabi said, adding that areas where the adjudicators deduct points can help the vocalist improve.
Both Gabi and Lena have participated in this festival — or the middle school version of it, IGSMA — since sixth grade.
Lena said she was more comfortable and at ease after so many years of experience.
“It just feels so much more relaxed. Like I wasn’t nervous at all because I did it so many times,” she said. “And yeah, I wanted to do well. Obviously, this was my last time doing it, but it kind of just felt more fun than any sort of pressure.”
