MHS students selected for ILMEA

Mendota High School band and choir students selected to participate at the senior level in the Illinois Music Educators Association (ILMEA) Festival on Nov. 11 at Augustana College in Rock Island and the ILMEA Jazz Festival, Nov. 4 at MHS, front row, left to right, are Jessie Dooley, Madeline Hoelzer, Mia Artman, Pam Taylor, Jose Bustos, Cole Pursell; middle row, Jenna Stanford, Blaire Collins, Cheyenne West, Rachel Brandner, Katherine Wohrley, Natalie Landgraf, Amy Lewis, Payton Klatt, Lizandra Hernandez; back row, Kole Buckley, Patrick Foley, Jacob Stohr, Dekin Walter, Katie Beetz, Fabian Gomez. Not pictured are Bianca Rodriguez, Cole Pursell, Karina Arteaga, Brooke Lee, and Brooklyn Sparks. (Reporter photo by Jennifer Sommer)

ILMEA junior level participants

Mendota High School band and chorus students selected to participate at the ILMEA Festival at the junior level, front row, left to right, are Lily Linden, Piper Artman, Ashton Dewey, Heather Swope; back row, Jessica Geske, Olivia Eddy, Matthew Grenter, Leilani Landeros, and Madison Pappas. Not pictured are Amaya Olivas and Perri Stachlewitz.

NMS students to attend festival

Front, left to right, Faith Anderson, Olivia Ross, Jamie Dooley, Zoe Finley, Maya Martin; back row, Ted Landgraf, Zach Giberson, and Jacob Ensor will represent Northbrook Middle School in the junior level at the ILMEA Festival. (Reporter photo by Bonnie Morris)

MENDOTA – Mendota High School will send 37 vocal and instrumental students to participate in the District II Illinois Music Educators Association (ILMEA) Festival on Nov. 11 at Augustana College in Rock Island. Eight students from Northbrook Middle School also will attend.

“We always have a good representation,” commented Lori Schrock, Mendota High School choir director.

The auditions were held at Geneseo High and Middle Schools in Geneseo on Sept. 30.

Mendota High School and Northbrook Middle School’s most talented music students were invited to audition, based upon musical ability, work ethic and ability to follow through. Many of the students received an invitation for both band and choir, so they had to choose.

The audition for both the choral and instrumental audition is difficult and the selection process is rigorous. Some students choose not to audition because they do not have the time necessary to devote to a successful audition.

Illinois is divided into nine districts. Students are scored on a performance rubric against all other schools in the district, regardless of school size. District II runs from Ottawa to the Mississippi River and from Mendota to Peoria.

Mendota students selected for this honor included:

Junior Band (grades 7-9) – Piper Artman (9), flute; Ashton Dewey (9), clarinet; Jamie Dooley (7), French Horn; Jacob Ensor (8), Trombone; Zoe Finley (8), Clarinet; Zach Giberson (8), Euphonium; Ted Landgraf (8), Trombone; Lily Linden (9), oboe; Olivia Ross (8), Clarinet;

Junior Chorus (grades 7-9) – Faith Anderson (8), Alto; Olivia Eddy (9), Mixed Chorus; Jessica Geske (9), Treble Chorus; Matthew Grenter (9), Mixed Chorus; Leilani Landeros (9), Mixed Chorus; Maya Martin (8), Alto; Amaya Olivas (9), Mixed Chorus; Madison Pappas (9), Mixed Chorus; Perri Stachlewitz (9), Mixed Chorus;

Senior Band (grades 9-12) – Jose Bustos (10), trombone; Madeline Hoelzer (12), clarinet; Bianca Rodriguez (12), bass clarinet; Pam Taylor (12), trumpet;

Senior Chorus (grades 10-12) – Karina Arteaga (12), alto 2; Katie Beetz (11), soprano 1; Rachel Brandner (10), soprano 1; Kole Buckley (11), tenor 1; Blaire Collins (12), soprano 2; Patrick Foley (12), bass 1; Fabian Gomez (11), bass 2; Lizandra Hernandez (11), soprano 1; Payton Klatt (12), soprano 1; Natalie Landgraf (12), alto 1; Brooke Lee (11), alto 2; Amy Lewis (12), alto 1; Cole Pursell (10), bass 1; Brooklyn Sparks (10), alto 1; Jenna Stanford (11), alto 2; Jacob Stohr (11), bass 1; Dekin Walter (11), tenor 2; Cheyenne West (12), alto 2; and Katherine Wohrley (11), alto 1.

Selected for the ILMEA Orchestra Festival also to be held at Augustana on Nov. 11 are:

Junior Orchestra (grades 7-9) – Heather Swope (9), violin;

Senior Orchestra (grades 10-12) – Mia Artman (11), flute; and Jessie Dooley (12), bassoon.

Students will benefit from being a part of the festival by getting to work with collegiate conductors who are well known in the field. Additionally, students got to hear how other student musicians are developing. Students also will perform more demanding, higher-level music.

What directors hope is that these students bring that same intensity back to the school ensemble.

At the Junior and Senior Band, Choir and Orchestra Festival, Schrock, Dortwegt, and NMS band instructor James Younger will observe the rehearsals and attend professional development sessions. The festival will culminate with evening concerts.

Senior Band guest conductor will be H. Mark Heidel (University of Iowa). Senior Choir guest conductor will be Dr. Aimee Beckman Collier (Drake University).

Junior Band guest conductor will be Matt Thomas (Western Illinois University). Junior Mixed Chorus guest conductor will be Brandon Catt (Glenbard East High School); and Junior Treble Chorus guest conductor will be Sarah Catt (Elk Grove High School).

Senior Orchestra conductor will be Daniel Culver (Augustana College) and Junior Orchestra guest conductor will be Dung Pham (Palatine High School).

This year, Mendota High School will host the ILMEA Jazz Festival on Saturday, Nov. 4. Guest conductor will be John Larson (Normal Community High School). “We are fortunate to have students that audition for the Jazz Festival and a school that is big enough to host the event,” noted Chris Dortwegt, MHS band director.

Selected students are: Senior Jazz Band (grades 9-12) – Jose Bustos (10), trombone; and Cole Pursell (10), alto sax.

Through the years, thousands of students have taken part in the ILMEA District Festival. The selected students perform in an ensemble with fellow musicians from around the state in an experience like none other.

“We will anxiously wait until December for any all-state bids that our students have earned from this same audition process,” noted Schrock.