The Decorah High School Music Department participated in the Iowa High School Music Association State Solo and Small Ensemble Music Festival on Saturday, March 29, at Independence High School. Other schools participating were Anamosa, Benton Community, Center Point-Urbana, Independence, Vinton-Shellsburg, Dubuque Wahlert, Waukon, West Delaware, and Cedar Rapids Xavier. 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, and 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 festival. Of the overall nine judges in the vocal, orchestra, and band categories, six of them awarded this exceptional honor to DHS musicians. Receiving “Outstanding Performance” awards include Grant Zilka: Baritone Saxophone Solo, Natalie Goodner: Vibraphone Solo, Gwen Thompson: Vocal Solo, Mikayla Hiner & Gwen Thompson: Vocal Duet, Junior Treble Clef Ensemble, and Concert Choir Chamber Singers.

Receiving a Perfect Score for their performance include Grant Zilka: Baritone Saxophone Solo, Aitor Cuevas: Trumpet Solo, Gwen Thompson: Vocal Solo, Kealy Hines: Vocal Solo, Mikayla Hiner & Gwen Thompson: Vocal Duet, and Senior Treble Clef Ensemble 9.

Students were accompanied on piano by Dean Beckman, Mike Ellingsen, Chris Hadley, Lani Himegarner, Xiao Hu, Miko Kominami, Linda Martin, Jessica Paul, David Severtson and Nicholas Shaneyfelt.

Division I – Superior Ratings:

Solos

Marimba: Natalie Goodner, Kealy Hines, Olivia Rissman, Grace Stockman, Jerald Thompson; Vibraphone: Natalie Goodner; Soprano Saxophone: Grant Zilka; Alto Saxophone: Grant Zilka; Tenor Saxophone: Grant Zilka; Baritone Saxophone; Grant Zilka; Flute: Jay Hawthorn, Mikayla Hiner, Olivia Volkmann; Piccolo: Jay Hawthorn, Sophia McGee; Trumpet: Aitor Cuevas; Oboe: Ansel Kowitz; Violin: Spencer Christensen, Liam Huang, Naomi Kutz, Lauren Severtson, Gwenyth Thompson; Cello: Lulu Bellrichard, Andie Gegax; String Bass: Nina Sessions, Ezra Vorvick; Soprano: June Breitenbach-Dirks, Mikayla Hiner, Kealy Hines, Greta Jones, Gwen Thompson, Jillian Volz, Margret Zook; Alto: Emma Cline, Amelia Wadsworth; Tenor: Spencer Christensen, Lawrence Christman, Andy Kruger, Jameson LaBelle; and Bass: Oliver Brummel, Davis Coppola, Derek Hrdlicka, Noah Potvin, Jack Sovern, Davis Walter, Ezra Vorvick.

Ensembles

Flute Choir; Millennium Percussion Choir; Saxophone Quartet (Zilka, E. Christman, Breitenbach-Dirks, D. Walter); Percussion Quintet (Hines, Chamberlain, Rissman, Stockman, N. Goodner); French Horn Duets: Sandhorst & Wadsworth; Flute Duet: Hawthorn & Volkmann; String Duets: Severtson & Kutz, Davis & Brown, Sessions & Vorvick, L. Bellrichard & Sessions; Violin Quartet (Weis, Opheim, P. Bellrichard & C. Ko); Cello Quartet (L. Bellrichard, Cline, Harmening & Hahn); String Ensemble (Huang, Christensen, C. Riley, Franzen, Kuennen & Vorvick); Royal Chamber Orchestra; Elegie Chamber Orchestra; Vocal Duets: M. Hiner & G. Thompson, Brummel & Kruger, G. & C. Thompson; Madrigal Singers; CC Chamber Singers; VC Chamber Choir; Ninth Gr. Bass Clef (L. Nalean-Carlson, Peterson, Sabelka, Ewing, M. Goodner, Hrdlicka, Burkholder, D. Walter, Wilkins); Ninth Gr. Treble Clef (Evelsizer, Carlson, Dowden, Cord, C. Ko, McGee, C. LaBelle, R. Newhouse, K. Johnson); Sophomore Treble Clef (Lundtvedt, Severtson, Volz, Volkmann, Searcy, Stockman, Timm, Cline, A. Hanson, Rissman); Junior Treble Clef (Breitenbach-Dirks, Hiner, E. Christman, Klara Kelly, Albert, Lesmeister, Wemark); Junior Bass Clef (Malanaphy, J. LaBelle, Duder, Mercado-Arneson, Milburn, Nalean-Carlson, Harman-Wood, C. Johnson, Sassaman); Senior Treble Clef 6 (E. Downing, Suhr, Bakken, Wicklund, C. Holland, Brodbeck); Senior Treble Clef 9 (C. Sheffield, G. Thompson, Zook, Jones, Hines, E. Johnson, Blikre, Steines, Wadsworth); Senior Bass Clef (Kruger, B. Newhouse, Hammel, Brummel, D. Coppola, Chamberlain, Krieg, Vorvick, Sovern); Vocal Trio (Hiner, G. Thompson, C. Thompson); and Vocal Quartet (Kruger, Brummel, Chamberlain, Vorvick).

Division II – Excellent Ratings:

Solos

Saxophone: Mary Brown; Flute: Amelia Pankow; Horn: Lily Sandhorst, Jillian Volz; Flute: Sophia McGee; Bassoon: Noah Potvin; Timpani: Jackson Irwin; Trumpet: Max Goodner, Nils Peterson; Trombone: Evan Madsen; Piano: Olivia Volkmann; Violin: Elsa Johnson, Jayden Lundtvedt, Haylee Stravers, Rachel Weis; Viola: Thatcher Brown, Madysen Lippe; Cello: Grace Blikre, Emma Cline; Soprano: Regine Hougen, Jayden Lundtvedt, Vivian Searcy, Grace Stockman; Alto: Ariana Albert, Grace Blikre, Kaya Johnson, Olivia Rissman; Tenor: Beau Newhouse; Bass: Liam Chamberlain, William Duder, Ezra Harman-Wood, Caleb Johnson, Tyler Shaw, Colin Thompson.

Ensembles

Drum Check Percussion Choir; Brass Choir; Saxophone Choir; Woodwind Choir; Trumpet Trio (Cuevas, Peterson, & Goodner); Flute/Clarinet Duet (Newhouse & Volkmann); Brass Quintet (Cuevas, Peterson, Sandhorst, Madsen, Brummel); Trombone Trio (Searcy, C. Thompson, Madsen); Marimba Quartet (Hines, Rissman, Stockman, Goodner); Trumpet Duet (Cuevas & Peterson); Vocal Duets: Rissman & Volz, Searcy & Cline; 9th Grade Chamber Choir; CC Chamber Choir; Sophomore Bass Clef (Christensen, Irwin, Nimrod, L. Christman, Courtney, Oftedahl, Potvin, Shaw, Berland, Madsen, C. Riley, C. Thompson).

DHS Band Director Matt Cody with band

DHS Orchestra under the direction of Nicole Cody

Mikayla Hiner and Gwenyth Thompson sing a duet at the festival.