Music Teachers, Students Gather for SPAMTA 30th Annual Fall Festival
For the City-Times
On Saturday, November 9, the Stevens Point Area Music Teachers Association held the 30th Annual Fall Classical Music Festival in the Fine Arts Center of UW-Stevens Point. One hundred young musicians (from ages five years through adults) took part in these music auditions, performing two contrasting musical selections by memory for a judge. Participants received an overall score based on their performance.
“The Fall Classical Music Festival is a very low-key, positive experience for every level of music student. The performers gain experience in the preparation of audition repertoire, obtain feedback on their performance from a highly qualified professional. When the participants prepare and practice for this audition, they work to perfect their performances. Students also learn about contrasting musical style periods and performance preparation. They get to meet and see other young musicians and have a greater appreciation for music. They generally apply similar determination and perseverance to many future endeavors academic or otherwise. Additionally, participation in this event provides the young musician with the opportunity to observe other musicians and gain self-esteem through their accomplishment. In their involvement in this event, the students also raise funds for our SPAMTA College Scholarship. So this is program is very beneficial in supporting the arts in our community” said Gail Heywood, President of SPAMTA.
Adjudicators for the Fall Classical Music Festival were Julie Juvinall of Wausau, Mary Stevens of Marshfield, Eddie X. Brown of Stevens Point and Ed Muelling of West Bend.
The following SPAMTA teachers had students participating in the event: Jenny Burton, Gail Heywood, Annella Kochanowski, Judy Meyer, Ann Marie Novak, John Strassburg, Mary Thomas, Heather Wagner and Tom Yang.
An honors recital was held at the conclusion of the day’s events featuring those students who achieved the highest performance score. The following area students performed:
Revyn Abbot-Beversdorf | Lucy Gwidt | Jared Kort | Melissa Preciado-Garcia |
Katla Anderson | Ben Haemmerle | Marco Kurzynski | Zak Runke |
Grace Belson | Lucas Haemmerle | Jeff Leek | Henry Schmitz |
Amara Benn | Anna Hahn | Katya Leek | Perry Scott |
Brea Bierman | William Hahn | Daniel Lindner | Ashlyn Solinsky |
Ethan Bilbrey | Anna Halvorsen | Joshua Lindner | Krishiv Sreejith |
Berit Borgnes | Gabrielle Heese | Hope Mahon | Gabrielle Sroda |
Julia Caldwell | Genevieve Heese | Max Malek | Hope Stephani |
Naomi Clendenning | Olivia Heese | Nathaniel Meadows | Lucia Stephani |
Christopher Coffeen | Annalise Jewell | Anna Meilahn | Julia Storch |
Josh Davis | Isabella Jewell | Thomas Meronek | Hannah Thompson |
Matt Davis | Molly Jewell | Trent Miller | Elisabeth Timcak |
Alyssa Elsen | Benjamin Jore | Drew Nelson | Natalie Van Tiem |
Sophie Emerson | Erin Jore | Emma Nelson | Payton Vollendorf |
Lydia Ensminger | Supriya Keefe | Bella Nimm | Megan Yang |
Sloane Freitag | Faith Kluck | Alyssa Olson | Olivia Yang |
Tess Freitag | Evan Koelemay | Jonathon Olson | Jace Yesse |
Mason Grassl | Paul Kollross | Nate Olson | |
David Gui | Josh Kolodziej | Sophia Pellegrom |
The Stevens Point Area Music Teachers Association (SPAMTA) is an affiliate of Music
Teachers National Association (MTNA). Our chapter serves the communities of Stevens Point, Wisconsin Rapids and Waupaca. Founded in 1876, MTNA, the oldest professional
Music association in the country, represents more than 24,000 independent and collegiate
Music professionals. The local chapter of MTNA meets on the second Wednesday of the month (during the school year) at Mitchell Piano Works. Meetings are free and open to the public. Visit the Stevens Point Area MTA website at: http://www.spamta.webs.com or the Wisconsin Music Teachers Association website at http://www.wmta.net for more information about music outreach programs and benefits of membership.