State Solo and Ensemble 2023
On Saturday, March 18, nine Oscoda High School band members kicked off their Spring Breaks with a trip to Mackinaw Trail Middle School in Cadillac to participate in MSBOA (Michigan School Band and Orchestra Association) State Solo and Ensemble Festival.
These students earned this opportunity by earning a Divison 1 (Superior) Rating at MSBOA District 9 Solo and Ensemble Festival on February 4 at Tawas Area High School.
Students were evaluated in the areas of Tone, Intonation, Rhythm, Technique and Interpretation. Additionally, soloists were required to perform Major, minor and chromatic scales as well as sight-read.
Earning Division 2 (Excellent) Ratings were:
Joshua McDonald, tenor saxophone soloist performing “Minuet in d minor” by Johann Sebastian Bach.
Maggie Thibault, tenor saxophone soloist performing “Prelude and Allegro” by Leroy Ostransky
Stephanie Oakes and Joshua McDonald, bass clarinet and tenor saxophone duet performing “Ave Verum Corpus” by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart.
Earning Division 1 (Superior) Ratings were:
Stephanie Oakes (11), bass clarinet soloist performing “Danse Macabre” by Camille Saint-Saens
Patrick Boje (12), baritone saxophone soloist performing “Undercurrent” by Newell H. Long
Nichole Leeseberg (12) and Karissa Beach (12), flute duet performing “Fantasia” by Georg Philipp Telemann and “Two Duets” by Ernesto Kohler.
Saxophone Quartet performing “Allegro de Concert” by Jean-Baptist Singelee: Aidan Taylor (12), soprano saxophone; Julian Gawne (12), alto saxophone, Axel Raybourn (12), tenor saxophone and Patrick Boje baritone saxophone.
Oscoda events were accompanied by Karen MacGregor and were coached by Jim Sapp, Cole Vanderveen and Karen Lopez.