In the Nome-Beltz High School gym, teenagers — some dressed up in button-down shirts, others in traditional Alaska Native atikłuks or kuspuks — play the song “Adventure Awaits.” For rural high school students like me, who live off Alaska’s road system, coming here to perform is an adventure.
“In Unalakleet, my students do not get very many opportunities to play with other musicians, so when we come to this festival they are getting an experience they don't get at home,” said Samanthah Towarak, the band and choir director for the Bering Sea community of Unalakleet.
Four other schools were at the event held in mid-April: Nome, Bethel, Dillingham and Kotzebue. About 60 students performed at the festival.
Brandon Lessando was the band director for the event. He spent time with the bands from each school, coaching them with breathing exercises and making sure they played the correct notes.
“I asked the kids at the beginning of the week, just trust a little bit,” Lessando said. “I promise I will ask you to do things that you have never done before and it might be a little weird, but eventually you'll see how it'll apply and make things better.”
The students had just two days to learn new musical pieces before performing in front of the other students and the Nome community. Some of the students performed in both choral groups and played instruments.
“There are about 11 students that are combined band and chorus, that are getting both experiences of that, which is really cool and really unique,” said
Richard Sargent, the coordinator of the event.
It was the first time Sargent, who recently moved to Nome from the Lower 48, organized an event like this in Alaska. He said he likes the collaborative nature of the festival.
“I see it as an opportunity for somebody to focus on something at their level and see the growth, with feedback at the end of the tunnel,” he said.
The festival also had a competitive aspect. Solo and ensemble performances were graded, with the best performers earning the honor of “superior” and a chance to travel to Anchorage to attend the statewide solo and ensemble music festival.
“Sometimes you go and you do a solo and ensemble, and you don't get to work with the student afterwards. You just fill out the sheet, you fill out the comments, say nothing, and they leave,” said Taryn Gervais, a choir director and performance judge. “I don't think that is super beneficial for anybody.”
Gervais worked with students after performing. She said it allowed students to practice and build their skills for future performances.
While she judged the event, she said judging wasn’t necessarily about following a rubric.
“I'm not looking to experience a performance that ticks boxes, right?” Gervais said. “Like, ‘Oh, they played that in tune. Check. They played this note, right? Check.’ Because music isn't a check box, music provokes feeling.”
In total, 13 students that performed at the regional event qualified for the statewide festival that is scheduled for May 8 in Anchorage.
