The Decorah High School Music Department participated in the Iowa High School Music Association State Solo and Small Ensemble Music Festival on Saturday, March 23, at Clear Lake High School. Other schools participating include Algona High School, Charles City High School, Clear Lake High School, Crestwood High School, Forest City High School, Hampton-Dumont High School, Humboldt High School, and Waverly-Shell Rock High School.

This is an adjudicated festival in which students receive one of five division ratings for their performance: Division I “Superior” rating, Division II “Excellent” rating, Division III “Good” rating, Division IV “Fair” rating, or Division V “Poor” rating. The ratings are based on a point scale. It was a successful day for the DHS Music Department. Each judge is allowed to present one “Outstanding Performance” award for the performance they deem to be the most superior of the day. There were eleven judges overall in the vocal, orchestra, and band categories, with five of them awarding it to DHS musicians.

Students were accompanied on piano by Dean Beckman, Mary Beth Bouska, Mike Ellingsen, Cathy Evelsizer, Chris Hadley, Miko Kominami, Julia Severtson, Gabriel Hiner, Linda Martin, Kayla Scholl, David Severtson, and Nicholas Shaneyfelt.

Receiving “Outstanding Performance” awards include Libby Phillips, Vocal Solo;Claiborne Treble Singers; Grant Zilka, Baritone Saxophone Solo; Alex McGohan, Marimba Solo; and Simon Kutz, Cello Solo. 

Receiving a Perfect Score were the following: Libby Phillips, Vocal Solo; Grant Zilka, Baritone Saxophone Solo and Alto Saxophone Solo; Alex McGohan, Marimba Solo, Timpani Solo, and Xylophone Solo; Aidan Nalean-Carlson, Timpani Solo; Natalie Goodner, Marimba Solo and Piano Solo; Percussion Quintet: Alex McGohan, Aidan Nalean-Carlson, Natalie Goodner, Kealy Hines, and Liam Chamberlain; Percussion Choir; and Simon Kutz, Cello Solo. 

Division I – Superior Ratings:

Solos

Flute: Jay Hawthorn; Oboe: Ansel Kowitz; Bassoon: Noah Potvin; Alto Saxophone: Brenna Parker and Grant Zilka; Tenor Saxophone: Brenna Parker and Grant Zilka; Baritone Saxophone: Grant Zilka; Trumpet: Aitor Cuevas; Trombone: Evan Madsen; Piano; Natalie Goodner, Julia Severtson; Mallet: Natalie Goodner, Kealy Hines, Alex McGohan (2), Aidan Nalean-Carlson, Julia Severtson; Timpani: Alex McGohan, Aidan Nalean-Carlson; Violin: Spencer Christensen, Gabriel Hiner, Liam Huang, Naomi Kutz, Lauren Severtson, Gwenyth Thompson; Viola: Lucas Arendt; Cello: Simon Kutz; String Bass: Ezra Vorvick; Soprano: Mikayla Hiner, Elayna Hook, Sydney Kipp, Brynn Storhoff, Gwen Thompson; Alto: Elliana Brodbeck, Bethany Hanson, Greta Jones, Kealy Hines, Kamryn Steines, Hayley Stowe, Abbie Valkosky; Tenor: Spencer Christensen, Lucas Hanson, Libby Phillips; and Bass: Oliver Brummel, Liam Chamberlain, Ezra Harman-Wood, Gabriel Hiner, Caleb Krieg, Tyler Shaw, Joseph Stammeyer, Colin Thompson, and Ezra Vorvick.

Ensembles

Flute Choir, Woodwind Choir, Saxophone Choir,Brass Choir, Percussion Choir, Woodwind Quintet (Wemark, Kowitz, K. Walter, Wadsworth, & Potvin), Trumpet Duet (Cuevas & Kruger), Mallet Duet (McGohan & A. Nalean-Carlson), Percussion Quintet (McGohan, Goodner, Hines, Chamberlain, & A. Nalean-Carlson); String Duet: L. Severtson & N. Kutz, G. Hiner & G. Thompson; String Quartet (G. Hiner, Monreal, L. Arendt & S. Kutz); String Group (Huang, S. Christensen, C. Riley, Franzen, Kuennen & Vorvick); Piano Trio of Violin, Cello + Piano (G. Hiner, S. Kutz & J. Severtson); Piano Duet: G. Hiner & J. Severtson; Vocal Duet: E. Hook & Evelsizer, M. Hiner & G. Thompson, Brummel & Kruger; Madrigal Singers, CC Chamber Singers, CC Chamber Choir, Claiborne Treble Singers, 9th Gr. Bass Clef 10 (S. Christensen, Irwin, Nimrod, L. Christman, Courtney, Potvin, Shaw, Berland, C. Riley, C. Thompson), 9th Gr. Treble Clef 7 (Lundtvedt, Severtson, Volz, Searcy, Stockman, Cline, Rissman), VC Treble Clef 7 (M. Hiner, E. Christman, Klara Kelly, Albert, Lesmeister, Wemark), VC Bass Clef 9 (Malanaphy, J. LaBelle, Duder, Kuennen, McElree, Milburn, Harman-Wood, C. Johnson, Sassaman), CC Bass Clef 7 (L. Hanson, Newhouse, Phillips, Coppola, G. Hiner, Krieg, Sovern), CC Bass Clef 9 (Evelsizer, Kruger, Roberts, Brummel, Chamberlain, L. Hook, Stammeyer, Vorvick, Weis), Vocal Quartet (M. Hiner, G. Thompson, C. Thompson, G. Hiner).

Division II – Excellent Ratings:

Solos

Flute: Mikayla Hiner, Olivia Volkmann; Clarinet: Mikelle Havens; French Horn: Lily Sandhorst; Trombone: Colin Thompson; Mallet Percussion: Ariana Albert, Olivia Rissman, Grace Stockman; Snare Drum: Beau Newhouse; Timpani: Jackson Irwin; Drumset: Liam Chamberlain; Piano: Tyler Shaw, Olivia Volkmann; Violin: Jayden Lundtvedt, Lydia Monreal, Spencer Rix, Haylee Stravers, Kinsey White; Viola: Thatcher Brown, Madysen Lippe; Cello: Lulu Bellrichard, Grace Blikre; String Bass: Nina Sessions; Soprano: Jayden Lundtvedt, Stella Pole, Julia Severtson, Jillian Volz; Alto: Ariana Albert, Grace Blikre, Emma Cline, Olivia Rissman, Vivian Searcy, Grace Stockman, Amelia Wadsworth; Tenor: Lawrence Christman, Connor Evelsizer, Andy Kruger, Beau Newhouse, Nat Roberts; Bass: Caleb Johnson, Alex McGohan, Noah Potvin, Jack Sovern.

Ensembles

Brass Quintet (Cuevas, Pritchard, Sandhorst, N. Simon, & Brummel); French Horn Quartet (Sandhorst, Wadsworth, Kamryn Steines, & Volz); String Duet: Brown & O. Rix, Sessions & Vorvick, Stravers & Lippe; String Quartet (Sabin, Q. LaBelle, Gegax & B. Christensen); Chamber Orchestra, Cello Choir; Vocal Duet: L. Suhr & R. Suhr; 9th Grade Chamber Choir, VC Chamber Choir, CC Treble Clef 10 (Bakken, Downing, Pritchard, C. Sheffield, L. Suhr, B. Bentley, Brodbeck, Delphey, Holland, Wemark).