County students showcase musical talents

 

Courtesy photo

ALL-STAR SINGERS from Sanders County including (from left) Frida Rivera and Johnathon Wortmen of Noxon, Jubal Ryan and Braden Starika from Plains.

William James, a famous American philosopher and psychologist, said, "I don't sing because I'm happy, I'm happy because I sing." Several high school students from Sanders County were singing and happy in February, individually and collectively, as they participated in the University of Montana's All-Star Honor Choir in Mixed Choir and Women's Choir categories. To be selected for the All-Star Honor Choir, students are nominated by their directors, then chosen by the University of Montana.

Sanders County students chosen for the Mixed Choir were Chris Rosler and Caitlynn Myton of Hot Springs High School, John Wortman and Frida Rivera from Noxon High School, and Braden Starika and Jubal Ryan from Plains High School. Rivera was also selected to join the Women's Choir. These students joined other students from Northwest Montana and used their talents in the performing arts to sing in this amazing music festival.

For some of these students, involvement added to previous experiences in performing arts. Ryan, a senior at Plains, has participated in several productions brought to Plains by the Missoula Children's Theatre. He and Starika, a junior, have performed in other Honor Choirs as well. This was Myton's second year at the festival.

This event was an opportunity for these students to come together and work with a larger group of students. The Mixed Choir included 140 students, and the Women's Choir involved 100. Both choirs were led by college choral directors Dr. David Edmonds from the University of Montana and Dr. Cameron LaBarr from Missouri State University. These directors are talented experts in their field and were able to have the students performance-ready in just two days! A special musical piece was commissioned specifically for the Mixed Choir and arranged by Susan LaBarr, a composer and wife of the choral director from Missouri State. The performers were the first ever to sing the piece, and the audience was the first to hear it. The song was titled "93 Million Miles" and was based on lyrics written by singer Jason Mraz.

Chris Rosler of Hot Springs

In preparation for this event, students were sent copies of their music, as well as rehearsal tracks, to work on independently before heading to Missoula for their collaborative work. The student performance was Sunday, Feb. 4. This festival included several hours of rehearsals from Friday to Sunday, with tickets to UM's Fusion concert Friday night. The performances by each of these choirs were spectacular! Parents and families came to see their students sing in UM's Dennison Theater. These students worked very hard and their efforts shone through in their concert.

This event is important on several levels. It serves as a showplace for the very talented singers in our county and state. It challenges students to do individual preparation and then use that work to collaborate in a much larger effort with students from other schools. And it encourages students interested in music to continue their studies and further develop themselves as singers, whether they sing in the shower as a pastime, or entertain their friends and families, or perform professionally. We thank the University of Montana for their foresight and inclusiveness. We are proud of these students for representing Sanders County in such a positive manner.

 

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