Spotlight on Exceptional Talent

Three students will represent Miss Hall’s in January at the Massachusetts Music Educators Association’s (MMEA) Western District Festival Concert.

Vocalists Molly Casey ’24 and Eleanor Jacobsen ’27 will sing with the District Chorus, and flutist Ayako Ogawa ’24 will perform with the District Concert Band.

The 2024 Festival Concert will be held at 3 p.m., on Saturday, January 13 (snow date of Sunday, January 14), at Minnechaug Regional High School, in Wilbraham. Tickets may be purchased at the door, but for advance tickets, please contact the MHS Music Department.

The MMEA, which is the state division of the National Association for Music Education (formerly the Music Educators National Conference), sponsors annual District and State Music Festivals that are open to secondary school musicians in both public and private schools.

Miss Hall’s students have participated in the Festival Concert for nearly thirty-five years, and each of this year’s MHS performers is exceptionally talented.

A member of Grace Notes (the School’s a cappella singing group) and the Miss Hall’s Vocal Ensemble, Molly has performed with the MHS Theater Ensemble and regularly sings at school concerts and events. Eleanor is also a member of the Vocal Ensemble and performs with the MHS Theater Ensemble. Ayako, who has played the flute for seven years, is a member of the MHS Chamber Ensemble and has performed solo and has accompanied the Vocal Ensemble.

To be selected for the Festival, performers auditioned at Westfield State University in early November. Instrumentalists prepared a required solo piece, and singers prepared a vocal part of a required choral piece. All musicians also played scales and sight-read a short piece they have never seen, to determine their music reading skills. Selected students rehearse together twice, performing a concert after the second day of rehearsal.

Congratulations, MHS performers, and to the whole Music Department!