This year, 43 musicians from Belmont High School were selected to perform in the orchestra, concert band, jazz band, and choral ensembles at the Massachusetts Music Educators’ Association Northeast Senior District Festival.
“There are very few towns in the state that will send this many kids to their districts’ festivals,” said Arto Asadoorian, the director of performing arts at Belmont High School.
“Some students prepare for months,” he added.
The regional festival brings together students from 58 cities and towns in northeastern Massachusetts, from Tyngsboro to Rockport.
For students selected, deciding to attend the festival is a hefty commitment, said Asadoorian.
During the week of performance, the two after-school rehearsals last for almost five hours each, culminating in a pair of weekend concerts.
The Belmont High School buses don’t make it back until nearly 9 p.m. on rehearsal days, said Asadoorian.
“And then [students] go home and do chemistry and calculus homework and all the other stuff they’re doing,” he said.
A Taste of Professional Life
One of the biggest benefits of performing at the festival is students work with other music directors, said Belmont High School Orchestra Director Margot Reavey.
“I think it’s a little bit of a window for kids into what it would be like to be a professional musician,” she said.
“I’ve worked on refining my technique and expression, which has deepened respect for all those who can go out and perform music on a regular basis,” wrote Belmont High School clarinet player Evan Zhang in a response to the Belmont Voice.
The festival also gives students the opportunity to build musical connections outside of school, according to Reavey.
“They sit down next to their new stand partner and they’ve got a match from another town, and that’s a really good feeling to have,” she said. “A lot of the kids do wind up seeing each other year after year.”
“I look forward to meeting new people as well as [seeing] some familiar faces that I have seen in the past at these festivals,” wrote Belmont High School trumpet player Ryan Park.
A Growth Experience
Auditioning for the festival is also an opportunity for Belmont students to practice setting goals, dedicating time and effort to honing their crafts, and stepping into uncertainty.
“Overall, putting my musicianship to the test at such a high stakes occasion helped me grow into someone better at handling pressure while I perform,” wrote Belmont High School saxophonist Ethan Gong-Norton.
Gong-Norton was among the 91 Belmont High School students who auditioned for the festival. He said practicing and mastering his audition piece has benefited many aspects of his musicianship.
“I have grown as both a musician and a person by becoming more hardworking and learning to overcome hardships when preparing for something,” wrote Belmont High School violinist Daniel Liu.
Asadoorian said the students who auditioned put in many hours of practice.
“They prepared for it … just because [they] didn’t get in doesn’t mean they’re not a really skilled musician,” he said. “It’s time and work and effort, and they’re all capable of performing at a really high level.”
Asadoorian said the audition process also gives students a taste of working as a professional musician.
“You can be a model citizen, and you can do all the things that you’re asked to do,” he said. “And at the end, you’re gonna be judged on your performance as well.”
Asadoorian said he encourages students considering auditioning to reflect on the question, “What’s the worst thing that could happen?”
“The experience of showing up and getting out there and trying to put your best foot forward is really valuable, whether you get the result you want or not,” he said.
The volume of students who audition every year also speaks to the level of support in Belmont for arts and music education, said Asadoorian.
“It’s something that’s really important to us and to our community,” he said. “And this is one of the ways that we see that play out.”