May 1, 2002

Singing sensations

Local students to perform at prestigious state competitions

By LISA PERKINS
Herald staff writer
       There is plenty to sing about in the Traverse City Area Public Schools music department this spring.
      Students from both Central and West High Schools will represent their schools when they sing at the Michigan Youth Arts Festival and in a competition sponsored by the Verdi Opera Theatre of Michigan later this month.
      The Choral-Aires of Central High School have been invited to perform at the 40th annual Michigan Youth Arts Festival in Kalamazoo on Friday, May 10. The festival recognizes outstanding high school students and schools that excel in different areas of the fine arts, including creative writing, film and video, the visual arts, dance and music. More than 60,000 students across the state vie for the 900 or so invitations to perform at the prestigious event held over three days.
      Central High School choral director, Jeff Cobb, is proud of the accomplishments of the Choral-Aires.
      "They performed at a vocal jazz invitational in April that included college and high school groups from across the United States and Canada. There were only two groups from the state of Michigan," he noted.
      Breanna Newton, a senior at West Senior High who received one of the coveted Arts Festival invitations, was ranked in the top 12 solo performers in Michigan at the Michigan School Vocal Music Association festival earlier this year. Last Tuesday, those top 12 performed in Lansing to narrow the group down to only two singers. Newton made the cut and earned the right to perform in Kalamazoo.
      "It is a really big honor, I never expected it," said Newton who plans to attend WMU in the fall and study vocal performance.
      She credited choral director, Russ Larimer, with helping her achieve her goals.
      "He doesn't let you give up at something just because it's hard, he is always very supportive," Newton said.
      Central High School junior, Betsy Spencer and West High School sophomore, Amy Bauman, will take a step toward achieving their goals this weekend when they perform in the eighth-annual "Italian Songs and Arias Vocal Competition for Michigan High School Students" sponsored by the Verdi Opera Theatre of Michigan.
      The girls were among 46 entrants who submitted audiotapes of their singing two Italian classical songs or opera arias of their choice. Ten finalists were chosen and will compete in the Concert of the Finalists to be held on the theater stage of the Italian American Cultural and Community Center in Warren, Mich., Sunday.
      Finalists are required to sing their two songs from memory with a piano accompanist. Each of the 10 finalists will receive a cash prize ranging from $50 to $1,000.
      Though each of the girls admitted to being nervous about the event, both plan to pursue a career as a performer.
      "I want to put everything that I've done so far together - singing, dancing, acting - I just love to perform," Bauman said.