On the morning of Saturday, November 18th, a group of vocalists and instrumentalists from the Groton-Dunstable Regional High School traveled to the Grafton High School where they auditioned for positions in the various Central Massachusetts District’s bands and the chorus.
After a nerve-wracking weekend of anticipation, the students came to school the following Monday to great results. 8 out of the 19 students that auditioned for chorus got in, and 3 out of the 6 students that auditioned for concert band got in.
Senior member of the GD Chamber Choir Gaby Orlando (pictured right), who was auditioning for districts for the first time, said about the preparation process leading up to the audition, “I worked tirelessly day after day on my audition, and then when I received the results I was absolutely shocked. Making it into districts was such an important milestone for me. On top of that, being given the opportunity to try out for the All State Choir is just another chance for me to work hard and improve my skills.†Orlando has been singing with GD’s chamber choir since her freshman year. She is also the chorus aide and works very hard day after day to teach the students and get GD’s chorus to the high musical level that they are known for.
Another student musician, Celeste Vandermillen, an oboe player and seasoned veteran of the Districts audition process said afterwards that “districts auditions are a little nerve-wracking, but it’s a good experience to audition, get feedback on your playing, and see how you can improve as a musician. And it felt great to get good results in my senior year.†Those good results she’s talking about were the first chair oboe position and an All States Band recommendation. Vandermillen is a senior at GDRHS and this will be her third year in a row taking part in the Massachusetts Central District Senior Music Festival and her second year in a row as first chair oboe. In school, she is in the concert band, jazz band, and chamber choir along with being heavily involved with the school’s drama guild.
Though the two students mentioned above are both seniors, students from the sophomore and junior classes were accepted into both the chorus and the band as well. This great showing by these Groton-Dunstable students is encouraging and the future of the GD music program looks bright, what with these high levels of skill being showcased.