In the world of instrumental music in schools, the traditional rite of passage of playing a solo or with a small group for judges goes back 100 years. Normally seen as a regional contest, students prepare a piece of music and play it for an expert judge and get immediate feedback. At Maercker School District 60, students get to have this experience annually right in their own school, removing barriers for participation and creating a meaningful and memorable night.
Preparing a solo or ensemble piece is different from playing with a large group. The dynamics of loud and soft become more noticeable, there’s no way to fake a hard-to-play note, and instrument issues or broken reeds can’t be ignored. Thanks to hard work and support from Band Teachers Karen Moffett and George Huff, Westview Hills student musicians are able to take pride in their work and showcase their talents.
“The students learn so much independence in playing their instruments and it’s so good for them to have that added pressure of playing for someone else,” said Mrs. Moffett. “This event is probably one of the most cumbersome things we do and takes a lot of time, but we can definitely see the fruits of our labor in it.”
This year, ten classrooms were used as performance spaces, each with a judge from a team of private lesson instructors or area middle and high school band teachers. Every band student selects a solo piece from a collection of options and students in seventh and eighth grade are able to select partners for an ensemble and choose an additional piece to play. The logistics of organizing and executing the event can be daunting.
“The scheduling takes about five hours with 200 different individual events happening throughout the night,” said Mr. Huff. “I hold a judges meeting beforehand and encourage judges to share their comments during the eight-minute time slot they have with the student to really maximize their time and impact.”
Each student can decide whether or not their family or other audience members are allowed in the room as they play for the judges. In addition to getting immediate feedback, they also get the written comments that the judges create. Tensions can be high, but there is a sense of support from other students and teachers, and representatives from PM Music on hand to help with broken reeds, instrument repair, or other needs.
Most students started their band career in fifth grade at Maercker Intermediate, where Mrs. Casey introduced them to the world of music. Seventh graders Sean (trombone), Jalen (trumpet), Lilian (alto saxophone), Shekina (clarinet), and Grace (trumpet) all shared their thoughts about their time in band.
“I thought that band would be really cool and my parents encouraged me to join,” said Grace. “Band is the best part of my day and I really enjoy it. I really like being able to practice here and at home and learn new notes, put together pieces of music, and to come together as a band.”
“I really like music and the idea of being able to create music on my own,” added Shekina. “Solo night went smoother this year and I was less nervous even though I still felt nervous playing in front of people.”
Common advice to others is to practice in front of an audience, and to push through the challenging moments of learning an instrument, because it is very rewarding. Teachers spend time with students and groups to help them practice.
“The teachers are really great and help everyone,” said Sean. “If there’s something we need to work on, they will help us and not let us give up. I was nervous to play in front of the judge but I felt inspired to keep going!”
“It’s really cool that the judges specialize in the instruments,” added Lilian. “They gave us little tips on how we could improve and it was a good experience. I really like playing music and think I will keep playing in high school.”
Jalen shared that it was a lot of work preparing both a trio piece with two other trumpets and a solo with a pianist providing accompaniment, but that his experience with band has been great.
“It’s really cool being able to get better and make a full sound with others,” said Jalen. “A highlight was playing at the White Sox game, it was really fun and we made the White Sox win!”
For their solos, students can choose between playing along with a recorded track or paying a fee to have a live pianist join them. Because the event is hosted in house, there are no limitations as to participation and everyone is able to be part of a solo or group performance. Eighth grade students Prapti (oboe) and Sarika (flute) have participated in previous years, so they knew what to expect.
“The solo night is a great opportunity and it can be stressful but it’s important to remember that it’s fun too,” said Prapti. “There have been lots of great highlights during my time in band like the Sox game and going to the Prairie State Festival.”
“We spent half a block practicing and working with our teacher on our solo,” added Sarika. “Playing in band is a fun thing to do to be able to show others how you have improved and show your talents.”
Since the event is held at Westview Hills, students in all three grades can participate. Sixth graders Alex (alto saxophone) and Ahmed (trumpet) were excited to work on their solo pieces and have found that the music at Westview is more challenging but fun to learn.
“Playing an instrument is like learning a new language and it’s really cool!,” said Ahmed. “It was hard for me at the beginning but Ms. Casey helped a lot. For my solo, I played a variation of Mozart’s Sleigh Ride and it was a challenge, but I felt really good about it.”
Alex and four other musicians were the only sixth grade ensemble and they worked together to play a rendition of Queen’s Bohemian Rhapsody.
“We communicated and worked together and got it figured out,” said Alex. “When I was in the band room warming up, it was very energetic, but I was nervous in the performance space. I felt good and got great feedback from the judge.”
Being able to participate in different activities and learning from the arts is a great way for middle school students to learn creative expression, learn the value of hard work, and connect with others. Though the annual event requires a lot of time and energy to put on, the band teachers remain up to the challenge. Mr. Huff can prove that he put in 27,000 steps the day of the event, and Mrs. Moffett says that they were out of energy by the time they left at 10 p.m., but they know it’s worth it.
“I think about conversations I have with adults and when I tell them what I do, they always respond with one of three things,” said Mr. Huff. “They either say ‘I was in band and I loved it,’ ‘I was in band, and I quit, and I wished I hadn’t,’ or ‘I wasn’t in band and I wish I was.’”
“Middle school is a great time to try it and see if it works for you because it gets harder to try new things later on,” added Mrs. Moffett. “I always tell the students that every time they do something like this, it gets a little easier and it’s good practice no matter what career path you go into. We know that not every student in band will go into music in college but they will all have job interviews and have to get over being nervous and be prepared. There will be things throughout your life that make you nervous and music is a great way to prepare for those types of situations.”
We can’t wait for next year’s event!