COLUMBIA, MO – Eleven Excelsior Springs High School Band and Choir students traveled to Columbia, Missouri, this weekend to compete at the 72nd Annual Missouri State High School Activities Association (MSHSAA) State Music Festival. All eleven returned as winners. The prestigious event featured solo and ensemble performances by the state’s most talented high school musicians, and qualifying for the competition is a significant honor.
Representing Excelsior Springs were band members sophomores Evie Selby and Leslie Vassmer, juniors Austin Collins and Ziya Miller, and seniors Chloe Albertson, Cole Dickey, Sam Gillihan, Kane Marker, Klarissa Newton, and Wyatt Pontalion. Junior Jerusha Oliphant represented the choir. These talented students have tirelessly honed their performances since December, and their hard work has paid off.
Watch a replay of the brass quintet’s golden performance on the Excelsior Citizen YouTube Channel. (video Christy Marker).
The day of competition started on a high note with the Excelsior Springs Brass Quintet, consisting of Austin Collins, Cole Dickey, Kane Marker, Ziya Miller, and Wyatt Pontalion performing “Petite Concertante” by Clair W. Johnson. After a nearly flawless performance, the quintet received a gold medal, the competition’s highest honor. Dickey, the euphonium player for the ensemble, said, “I feel like it was the best run we had. No performance will ever be perfect, but this was pretty close to perfection.”
Jerusha Oliphant sang two songs, including a lovely rendition of Edward German’s “Who’ll Buy My Lavender?” Her emotional performance gave anyone listening goosebumps and earned her a silver medal.
Qualifying for state in one category is impressive enough, but qualifying for two separate performances in the same year is nearly unheard of and requires extreme dedication. Senior Wyatt Pontalion, who performed as a member of the brass quintet, also performed a euphonium solo of “Andante et Allegro” by J. E. Barat. His elegant performance earned him a silver medal.
The last group to perform was the Excelsior Springs Woodwind Quintet, consisting of Chloe Albertson, Sam Gillihan, Klarissa Newton, Evie Selby, and Leslie Vassmer. This ensemble performed “Menuetto” by Franz Haydn and arranged by Joseph Pappas. After a great performance, this ensemble earned a very impressive bronze medal.
Garrett Jones, the head band director at ESHS, was extremely grateful for the opportunity to send so many students to this competition. “It’s always a proud moment to have students make it to a state competition,” Jones said regarding what this event means to him. “It took a lot of hard work and dedication to make it through districts, and their success is the fruit of their labor.”
The competition was extremely meaningful to the students who earned the opportunity to perform for the state judges. Junior Austin Collins was very grateful for this experience. “Winning a gold medal at state was a great experience that was earned from all of our early mornings and hard work,” Collins said. Pontalion added, “Teamwork and collaboration played a huge part in our win, and to be a part of this was something I will never forget.”
The day was bittersweet for the graduating seniors, marking the culmination of their high school music careers. “I had a lot of emotions going in and out of it.” Dickey acknowledged the mixed emotions, describing the state performance as a rollercoaster. While he said he wouldn’t miss the early morning practices, he would miss collaborating with such talented musicians. He reflected on how playing as part of the ensembles over the past few years had undeniably shaped him into the musician he is today. “I’ll look back at the medals and pictures and truly miss it all,” he concluded.
Pontalion expressed his gratitude for this competition: “It’s been inspiring and shows how much music can impact and connect people. Everything leading up to this was definitely worth it and I’m extremely proud of not only the groups that performed, but the directors Mr. Tim Harlan, Mr. Garrett Jones, and Mr. Brett Morris for making this all possible.”
Sending eleven students to MSHSAA Music Festival and having them all perform well and return home as medalists is an incredible accomplishment, especially for a school the size of ESHS. It was a great sendoff for the seniors and a great stepping stone for the future of the music program, setting up years of anticipated success.
Speaking as someone who has been able to compete at this prestigious event twice, this experience has been invaluable to me. The brass quintet has helped me form an unbreakable bond with two of my best friends that I’m sure would not be nearly as strong if it wasn’t for competing together. For that, I am eternally grateful and it is an experience I will never forget.
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