May 8, 2018

Sounds very High School Musical – and it kind of is.

Two weekends ago was the state competition for Solo and Ensemble in Ellensburg, Washington at Central Washington University (home of the Wildcats). This competition draws high school students from across the state that have gotten the highest scores at their regional competition. Scores range from a 1 (Superior) to a 5 (Poor), though usually scores stay in the 1-3 range. Students can do a range of performances, from solo harp performances to group vocal ensembles of 16 people – which is what Central Kitsap High School (CKHS) did.

There was only one vocal group from CKHS to make it to state, but that group did include over a dozen participants. Ashyia Wainright, who sang Alto two (the lowest female part), was one member of the all-women group. She says that they get a ton of support from the CKHS choir teacher, Alicia Rodenko, as well as choir teachers around the district. She says the Olympic High School teacher comes to watch during practices.

Wainright has been in choir for 10 years, and this is her first time going to state Solo and Ensemble. She said that though there is not a lot of time to make friends at this competition, she has made lasting friendships at other competitions. She enjoyed her time immensely with her group mates, carpooling 6 hours and going to group dinners.

She, along with the rest of the group, was very proud of their accomplishment, considering only a few out of over 3,000 solos and groups make it to state. They did not place, but they did receive all 1 scores, which is immensely impressive. The state guidelines give extensive requirements for students to be given a 1.

“[A superior score is that of] a performance at the highest level of artistry and technical proficiency that can be expected of a high school student”

Placing was almost irrelevant considering how far they had come. Abigail Thompson, a sophomore in the ensemble, says that they worked for at least three weeks on their performance, including countless mock performances in front of the school choir and other teachers.

Though there were 9 seniors, underclassmen had a voice too, with 7 freshmen, sophomores, and juniors. These younger vocalists will hopefully have many more competitions in their careers. For information about next year’s regional and state competitions, or to get started in choir or band, contact Alicia Rodenko ([email protected]) or Michael Woods ([email protected]) respectfully.