Written by Max Hurtubise|

Every year, all band and chorus students are given the opportunity to audition for a variety of Connecticut Music Educators Association festivals. The first of these festivals is the regional performance, which combines students from schools in Connecticut’s southern quarter. Attending this festival lets students audition for the all-state festival, which is more difficult to be accepted into and combines students from all over Connecticut. This year, two students from Morgan auditioned for and attended the 2019 all-state festival.

Senior Max Hurtubise and Junior Emma Blair were this year’s attendees from Morgan. Both of these students want to enter the music field, which makes attending the festival meaningful. This year’s performance took place on April 13th, but the performers stayed and rehearsed in the Connecticut Convention Center over the two days prior. The performance was in the convention center’s joined ballroom and had two separate parts. The first featured the jazz ensemble, treble choir, and mixed choir. Emma was a member of the treble choir and Max was a part of the mixed choir. The second part consisted of the concert band and orchestra.

The students arrived at the convention center on Thursday, April 11th. They had to sign in and began rehearsing shortly after. The rehearsal days required a lot of work that each director assigned. These directors were selected from a variety of musical backgrounds and are well-known individuals from different areas across the country. In between rehearsals, all students assembled for meals, and later in the day, went to the neighboring hotel to stay for the night. However, the students were also provided with concerts before heading to the hotel. Thursday’s feature was an ensemble named “PROJECT Trio,” which consisted of a flute player, cello player, and bass player. They played a variety of pieces, some of which were originals. Friday’s feature was “The UConn Jazz Ensemble,” which consisted of UConn students and staff members who played jazz pieces for the students.

Saturday afternoon, parents and other audience members assembled in the joined ballroom for the two all-state performances, which were not only successful but also properly demonstrated the musical talent that exists in high schools across Connecticut.