High Notes
Hundreds of young musicians crowded the halls of Washburn High School April 10, their voices and instruments spilling out of classrooms as Region VII’s Solo and Ensemble Music Festival took over the building. By mid-morning, the parking lot was overflowing. Parents, grandparents and community members streamed through the doors, forming lines in the hallways as they waited for a chance to squeeze into classrooms where young musicians performed. In the lunchroom, students crowded around tables, grabbing food between performances.
For festival coordinator Randy Hall, the busy scene was exactly what he hopes for each year.
“We call them festivals because it’s not a contest,” Hall said. “We’re unlike any other event, and we have one shot at going to state unlike any other activity.”
“The students aren’t going up against other towns or even other people,” he said. “It’s all individual. It’s about doing your best.”
Hall has managed Region VII’s music festivals for more than 20 years. He began teaching music at Washburn High School in 1996 and retired eight years ago, though he still substitutes often. Organizing the festival, he said, is a yearlong effort.