The Appleton Post-Crescent, Posted April 26, 2006
Neenah-Menasha music students to compete in state festival
The News-Record
A number of Neenah-Menasha musicians will be among the thousands of students across Wisconsin who will perform at Saturday's state competition at the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh.
Students qualified in recent weeks for the right to perform in the Wisconsin School Music Association (WSMA) State Music Festivals — one of the largest student events of its kind in the nation.
More than 32,000 student musicians will take part in State Music Festivals.
Fox Valley students will participate at the April 29 festival in UW-Oshkosh. The event is scheduled from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. and is open to the public free of charge.
"The state music festivals are one of the most important ways we work toward our mission of providing leadership and support for school music programs," said Eric Runestad, WSMA executive director.
"They provide an opportunity for thousands of Wisconsin students to showcase their musical expertise at a state level. The festivals are a celebration of students' hard work and the rich tradition of excellence in school music programs throughout Wisconsin."
To participate in the State Music Festivals, students must first earn a "starred first" rating in Class A (the most difficult music) at a WSMA District Music Festival, hosted by schools for students in grades 6-12.
Students can select from a variety of instrumental and vocal solo and ensemble categories for their performances. More than 225 district festivals were held in Wisconsin during the past six months, involving more participants than any other student activity in the state.
WSMA has a strong history of offering programs and services (such as state solo and ensemble festivals, state honors music projects, state marching band championships and student composition project) that help youth achieve excellence through music.
The organization is headquartered in the new Wisconsin Center for Music Education, the first of its kind in the nation, located in Waunakee.
To learn more about WSMA and State Music Festivals, visit www.wsmamusic.org.
WSMA State Music Festival information will be posted as available on the festival Web pages. Schedules and results can be searched by school, student and event number.