Noxon competes at state music festival

Noxon High School students participated in the Montana High School Association (MHSA) State Solo and Ensemble Festival in Helena on May 4. Band and choir students from across Western Montana performed solos, duets, and other small ensemble performances for the festival. Each student prepared a vocal or instrumental piece that was performed at the District level two weeks before and qualified for state at Helena High School. Noxon brought one choral student and six band students.

In order to qualify for state, a student or group’s performance must score a Division 1 rating, the best rating available on a performance. Out of a total score of 30 for categories including technique and intonation, Division 1 is equivalent to a score of 26-30; Division 2 scoring from 21-25; Division 3 scoring from 15-20; Division 4 scoring from 10-14; Division 5 scoring from 0-9, making a Division 5 the worst rating you can get for a performance.

Noxon’s only state qualifying choral student was sophomore soprano Chloe Scarlett singing The Lass From The Low Countree by John Jacob Niles. She was given a score of 26, squeezing in a Division 1 rating at state.

The Noxon High School band also qualified for state in a percussion ensemble performance taught and led by their only senior, Cody Cable. Noxon sent a group of six that performed a song played entirely on chairs called Seat Beat by Dan Bukvich. Adding to the group were juniors Anna Kaiser and Edison VanVleet and freshmen Matthew Kaiser, Jared Webley and Ezabella Lampshire. They also scored a 26, a tight Division 1 rating.

Senior Cody Cable also scored a Division 1 at the District Festival back in late April for a snare drum solo, making for two performances he led and performed at the State Festival. He performed 4th Of July by Jay Wanamaker, a popular rudimental solo for snare drummers. He scored a 27, giving Noxon Division 1 ratings in all of their performances at the MHSA State Solo & Ensemble Festival.

The small Class C school has been rebuilding their music program under instruction of Sari MacArthur for the past several years, and they have sent students to perform at state since 2015. Noxon has had vocalists score a Division 1 and instrumental soloists and ensembles score Division 2, but this was the first year Noxon has had Division 1 ratings all across the board.

Losing students due to graduation and transfers, Noxon is hoping to keep the spirit alive and well in their music department and continue to produce successful musicians in future years.