Family and friends of the Marietta High School Music Department are invited to join a clap-out Tuesday at Marietta High School at 2:15 p.m. in the gym and auditorium lobby to celebrate the historic success of the Concert Band, Bass Chorus and Cantabile Chorus this year.
On April 21, Bass Chorus and Cantabile Chorus competed in the Ohio Music Education Association's large group state-adjudicated events at Watkins Memorial High School. Then, the following weekend, Concert Band competed in their state-adjudicated OMEA event at Gahanna Lincoln High School.
"From 1981 to present, there's no record of Marietta High School's concert band receiving state recognition," shared Korey Parlin, MHS Director of Bands.
Likewise, in the same timeframe, Cantabile Chorus earned the recognition of excellence only once before in 2019.
But this year, Concert Band and Bass Chorus earned the highest ranking from judges at their respective events, rated as superior performers.
"The most impressive part was their sight-reading," shared Parlin. "Usually those pieces are only 2-2.5 minutes long and they get 4 minutes of quiet time to study the sheet music, four minutes of time with me without instruments and then we perform. But with this one we had to read and perform a piece that was three minutes long which means I didn't have time to even work through the entire piece with them before they had to play it. And they did very well with the musicality, and with trusting me to bring them together ."
The Concert Band stood out, too, in the judges' comments noting good interpretation of the prepared pieces and intonation.
"I would say overall I'm most proud of their growth in confidence," he concluded.
That confidence, despite a tumuoultous few years rebuilding under new leadership and through a pandemic, is one that the five seniors from the band are carrying with them as they exit MHS this year, now with a reward for their perserverance.
"It felt very rewarding because I've been wanting to go to states for four years now and I remember four years ago that in marching band it was the first time the marching band hadn't qualified for state contests in 10 years and it was really devastating," shared Senior Henry Porter. "So finally being able to go and to have performed well, it's gratifying."
With Bass Chorus, growth in confidence and musicality this year was also evident despite more than half the ensemble still in eighth grade.
"I loved that, specifically for Bass Chorus that earned the superior rating, that the note 'robust tone' came up over and over again from the judges," shared Director of Choirs Scott Rieder. "That's what you want from a bass chorus and that's only possible as it grows. When I started here we have five students in bass and it was anything but robust, but this year we competed with 16 and could achieve that whole big body mature saound."
Cantabile Chorus also performed well at the state level, earning an excellent rating from judges.
"My freshman year we didn't get to compete because of COVID, and then sophomore year they didn't have it because of COVID" reflected Senior Lyanna Smith. "Then junior year wasn't really the same because we just recorded here. So this year was the first year we got to go and experience that stage."
She explained that despite nerves and the fear of failure, singing alongside friends and trusting Rieder's direction made the moment beautiful.
"That let me just go out there and smile and perform and really relish the moment," said Smith.
The musicians celebrated this week with sweet treats in hand, lauded by Principal Chad Rinard.
"What you have accomplished, as a program of bands and choirs from Marietta has never been accomplished here before and that's tons of credit to you all as well as your instructors," said Rinard. "In my first meeting with Superintendent Silvus in August he asked me what is something that Marietta City Schools or the high school has that stands out from all of its peer schools in the county... I said our performing arts, and that's been put on display a lot recently."
Building a sustainable music program requires the focus to adjust and fine-tune a variety of skills as performers.
"We focus a lot on the musicality of the performances and getting the dynamics right, getting the musical dynamics in place to a greater extent," described Director of Choirs Scott Rieder. "And specifically for the eighth-graders who are coming up, a lot of them are going into Cantabile next year. We have more freshmen in Cantabile than we've had since I started teaching here."
With hopefully, Rieder noted, many more to continue up the ranks as a new staff member and his former Bass Chorus student takes on the earliest Tigers at Marietta City Schools next school year.
"Tyler Hartline was in that Bass Chorus when I started here and now he's joining us as a music educator at the K-2 buildings," shared Rieder, beaming with pride.
Marietta City Schools Board of Education formally approved Hartline's hire at the April regular business meeting.
What's Next
The public is also invited to both final spring performances from the high school's music programs on the following dates:
Band Spring Concert | Tuesday, May 16 at 7 p.m.
MHS Choirs Spring Show | Thursday, May 18 at 7 p.m.
Both programs are free and will also be live-streamed from the high school auditorium to the district Youtube channel, Marietta High School Facebook page and the respective Facebook pages of the bands and choirs.
Marietta Elementary School will also showcase its year of music education in the Grades 3-6 final performance of the school year at Marietta High School Monday, May 15 at 6:30 p.m.
Elementary performers are expected to arrive by 6 p.m. for that event and the live stream will appear on both the District Facebook page and Youtube.