Niwot High Hosts annual Music Awards Night

The Niwot High School Music Department hosted its annual awards night on May 3. The awards recognize music students for their dedication, commitment, and accomplishments made throughout the school year.

This year had an added element of fun to the evening. Attendees of the awards night were encouraged to dress up more formally than usual for this year's event, including parents, friends, and other guests.

"Other departments, when they host their end of the year celebrations, all have nice attire or wear their sports uniforms," said Keynes Chen, director of the orchestras and the Mariachi Ensemble at Niwot, "so we wanted to turn this into a formal, Oscar-level event, and encouraged everyone to wear their prom-homecoming attire." Most attendees happily complied, giving the evening a special dose of glamor.

Coveted awards given out were varsity letters in music and performance. Just as students across the nation earn varsity letters in sports and academics, students also earn letters in music and performance.

Each department and ensemble has different requirements to earn a varsity letter but they all generally require effort that goes above and beyond designated class time, such as participating in extra ensembles, hosting off-campus rehearsals, participating in other school activities, taking lessons, participating in fundraisers, or holding a leadership position..

In addition to earning varsity letters, students are also recognized for their musical contributions to other groups outside of school, such as All-State Choir, Band and Orchestra, St. Vrain District ensembles, and Honors ensembles. National level awards were also given to one student from each department.

Directors of each program also delivered special recognition specific to individual students. Each ensemble from each department awarded Most Valuable Player certificates, Director's Awards, Most Improved, and even some bonus, more humorous titled awards as well, such as the "extra" award for a student who does so many extra activities across all departments.

Chen's favorite part of this event is "seeing students' faces light up when they're acknowledged in our community. As the year goes by, people after a while tend to forget all the outstanding work and contributions people have done."

The music department at Niwot High School truly has some of the most dedicated, involved, and hardworking students and staff, and the awards night sought to offer small tokens of appreciation to everyone involved.

Students who held a position of leadership as a choir officer or section leader in any of the departments were: Justin Ge, Aaniyah Henry, Zach Johnson, AJ Beasley, Kennah Bracket, Cas Clark, Olivia DeRose, Trenton Finley, Bella Gabbard, Gabriella Gravelle, Evan Green, Shin Lim, Mark Rokhlenko, Ava Pres, Hayden Baldwin, Rori Barchers, Anna Enssle, Natalie Fitches, Cas Lebsock, Chase Maasen, Drew Moore, River Osgood, Grace Schulist, Rae Sweeney, Lily Skyes, Noah Wurth, Hosanna Adams, Dakota Allison, Emma Brown, Kaitlyn Duncan, Josephine Gravelle, Caleb Law, Jessi Lehman, Brice Long, Evelyn Mason, Leo Massa, Mattie Milliman, AJ Moy, Hannah Rudolph, Henry Stauch, and Anastasia Williams.

Students who participated in a St. Vrain district-level honor ensemble for band, choir, jazz band and/ or orchestra included: Prugh Dunfee, Natalie Heinze, Maggie Luttrell, James Nichols, Pali Sauer, Ava Schroll, Kennah Bracket, Elliot DeBusk, Olivia DeRose, Evan Green, Ali Kraut, Cayla Piper, Peter Rosen, Ayla Schatz, Ian Springsteen, Greta Stauch, Sara Taylor, Nyx Thornton, Jade West, Abby White, Jasper Allison, Sophie Arnett-Simon, Ava Pres, Anna Enssle, Bean Feitler, Kaz Fowler, Cas Lebsock, Lichen Liao, Eleanor Long, River Osgood, Aiden Sagner, Xander Schreurs, Isabel Seiler, Rae Sweeney, Fred Zorgdrager, Hosannah Adams, Jaedyn Adler, Dakota Allison, Ash Bartlett, Josephine Gravelle, Gustave Kuhlman, Joshua Ludski-Lee, Evelyn Mason, Hannah Rudolph, Henry Stauch, Anastasia Williams, and Jacie Zou.

Those who were involved in All State ensembles: Kaiya Brown, Lichen Liao, Mya Wells, Paola Ramirez, Hosanna Adams, Dakota Allison, Josephine Gravelle, Lucas Haratsaris, Gustave Kuhlman, Evelyn Mason, Mattie Milliman, Hannah Rudolph, and Jacie Zou.

Combined League ensemble participants were: Gabe Bandera, Kennah Brackett, Jack McGuirk, James O'Hara, Ava Pres, Heather Montana, Eleanor Long, Xander Schreurs, Sebastian Aguirre, Lucas Haratsaris, Joshua Ludski-Lee, Henry Stauch, Anastasia Wiliams, and Jacie Zou.

CU Honor Reading Choir: Hayden Baldwin, River Osgood, Dakota Allison, Josephine Gravelle, Gustave Kuhlman, Mattie Milliman, Hannah Rudolph

Longmont Youth Symphony: Abby Gabbard, Bella Gabbard, Ian Springsteen, Ava Pres, Drew Moore, Joshua Ludski-Lee, Evelyn Mason, AJ Moy, Jacie Zou

Recipients of four years worth of varsity letters include: Hosannah Adams, Dakota Allison, Kaitlyn Duncan, Josephine Gravelle, Jessi Lehman, Evelyn Mason, Hannah Rudolph, Henry Stauch, Luke Weber, and Anastasia Williams.

Student Leadership with special recognition include: Hosannah Adams who acted as Choir President, and Jessi Lehman & Henry Stauch who were the marching band's drum majors.

Morgan Lane participated in the Greater Boulder Youth Orchestra.

Evelyn Mason was also part of the National Honor Orchestra.

Jacie Zou also participated in the Western States Honor Orchestra and National Honor Orchestra.

The breadth of the music department at NHS, upcoming performances and fundraising efforts can be found at https://www.niwotbands.org/ and niwotchoir.weebly.com.