Allie Rogers was one of these excited students. A sophomore at RBHS who plays the french horn for band, Rogers said she felt nervous for the competition.
“I’ve been playing the French horn for four years now, and all I can say is that throughout all those years, my biggest fear has been the same at competitions: the judges,” Rogers said. “They are the worst part of the contest because it’s just the fact that you know people are watching you and that you are being judged… it’s nerve-racking.”
The competition this year was tough, according to Rogers, however Rock Bridge leaves with a few wins. Out of the competition, 24 ensembles from Rock Bridge got a ranking of one, and 24 people got twos.
“I was lucky enough to score a one on both of my performances, but usually people who get ones score it not because of their skill, but because of the time they perform,” junior Emily Vu, alto saxophone player, said. “People who perform earlier tend to score lower than those who score better later in the day.”
With their wins, RBHS students come home proud and will continue practicing for next year’s competition, which is annual.
“The competition was pretty tough this year,” sophomore Shelby Yount, French horn player, said. “Although everyone was really nervous, we did pretty well considering it was state, and I cannot wait until next year’s competition.”
The MSHSAA state music festival is a contest that many musicians at the secondary school level in Missouri dream to participate in. The contest is only for ensembles and soloists across the state who have achieved a one at districts, which is the highest ranking one could achieve. This contest includes people ranging from the best in all divisions of music, from the band, to the orchestra, to the choir.
By Ronel Ghidey
