A very warm greeting to everyone from the Whitehall Music Department!
We are officially in ‘solo/ensemble’ season in the middle and high school band and choir departments! Solos and small ensembles (duets, trios, quartets) have been selected, most students have been practicing, and progress toward performance is being made! An important part of our music curriculum consists of students performing solos and small ensembles at the District level. The Wisconsin School 
Music Association (WSMA) is non-profit, statewide association serving more than 3,500 music teachers and administrators in the education of 220,000+ students who annually participate in the organization’s activities through their school’s membership. WSMA is a leader in providing programs and services that challenge youth to achieve excellence through music. It is through WSMA that our District Festivals are made possible.
Whitehall band and choir students will be participating in three District Solo/Ensemble Festivals. The first is for middle school band and choir students on Saturday, January 31, 2015, from 8 a.m. – 4 p.m. Whitehall is the host for this event and will need lots of volunteers to make everything run smoothly. You might receive a phone call or email requesting your help to work in the festival rooms, the concession area or providing refreshments for our judges. It is a fun day! Parents, friends and family are welcome to come and listen to your child’s events free of charge. Students performing should wear a nice outfit or their band uniform; black pants, white shirt, black shoes. A schedule will be available approximately one week prior to the event.
The second District Festival is scheduled for Saturday, February 14, 2015 from 8 a.m. – 4 p.m. at Gale-Ettrick-Trempealeau High School in Galesville. This event is for high school band and choir students. Students performing should wear a nice outfit or their band uniform; black pants, white shirt, black shoes. A schedule will be available approximately one week prior to the event.
The third, and final District Festival is on Wednesday, February 18, 2015 during the school day. It will most likely be a half day of events held in the auditorium here at Whitehall High School. All middle and high school band students will be participating in this as they are all in large ensembles such as Flute Choir, Clarinet Choir etc.
Events can be entered in three levels based on difficulty. Class C is the entry level and is the easiest; Class B is intermediate, and Class A represents the most difficult. Events entered in Class A are eligible to advance to the State Solo/Ensemble Festival on May 2, 2015 at UWEC if they perform well. Ratings are given to all students from trained adjudicators and are based on criteria established by WSMA. Students will receive medals or certificates in the spring for their efforts.
Please feel free to contact us if you have any questions.
Thank you – Krista Kjos, Colleen Cantlon