Tuning into talent: Sunset Middle School's choir shines

Four Sunset Middle School students, Keeva Walton, Heidi Kintzel, Sylvia Madry, and Avery Nixon, and Sunset Choir Director Anna Hansil participated in the prestigious Colorado Middle All State Choir 2024 on Feb. 8 and 9.

Acceptance into the Colorado Middle All State Choir is an incredible accomplishment for these young musicians. Students from Sunset Middle School auditioned back in October, along with over 1,500 other students statewide.

Colorado Middle All State Choir gives seventh and eighth-grade students a chance to meet with other incredible singers from all across the state. Around 500 students were selected to attend this year's two-day festival.

The audition included singing an excerpt from the song "Aura Lee," a major scale, a minor scale, a minor triad, two sight readings, and an aural recall of two short musical excerpts after two listenings.

Inside the Colorado Middle All State Choir are three individual choirs that students can be separated into: Triplo, Mescolare, and Cambiato. Triplo and Mescolare choirs are for Soprano 1s, Soprano 2s, Alto 1s, and Alto 2s, while Cambiato is for Tenor 1s, Tenor 2s, and Basses. Each choir is assigned a different piece of music before the event that they must learn and memorize before attending. On Thursday, Feb. 8, students checked into a Denver hotel and went to different areas to practice with their directors.

Three clinicians assisted each of the three choirs. The Cambiato Choir benefited from Dr. Ernest Harrison's expertise. Harrison, a poet, musician, and teacher, is committed to the intersection of music and social justice.

Dale Duncan was the clinician for the Mescolare Choir. A recently retired public school teacher, Duncan teaches teachers at music conventions and adjudicates many different choral performances.

Dr. Beth Robison assisted the Triplo Choir. She is the Director of Vocal Activities at Adams State University and is a recipient of the Adams State University Presidential Teaching Award. More information on all of the directors can be found here: https://www.msallstatechoir.org/cmasc-2024-clinicians.html.

The director of Sunset Middle School's choir, Anna Hansil said, "I am really proud of my students for all of the work that they have put into the Colorado Middle School All State Choir." She said, "I love All State because my students get the chance to meet other passionate singers and work with rockstar clinicians of the choral music world. Middle School All State Choir is where I found my love for music, and I hope this experience continues to foster a love of music in my students."

The culmination of the Colorado Middle All State Choir was when students got to perform at Denver's Bellco Theatre. The Bellco Theatre has 5,000 seats open to the public, giving students a chance to showcase all that they have worked for over the past few months before a large audience.

Middle All State Choir is just one of many ways Sunset Middle School Choir students challenge themselves. Another way that students can do that is through the St. Vrain Valley School District Honor Choir.

Much like the All State Choir, students audition with a song, scales, and sight reading. After 7th and 8th grade, students from the district were accepted into the SVVSD Honor Choir. They met at Niwot High School on Jan. 16 to practice their music for the day and then performed that night.

Sunset Middle School had 11 students participating in the SVVSD Honor Choir this year. The treble singers (Soprano and Alto) were Keeva Walton, Heidi Kintzel, Avery Nixon, Roslyn Hall, Aliana Cox, Tricia Rose Dempsy, and David Kintzel. The baritone singers (tenor and bass) were David Kintzel, Nolan Logue, David Lovato, and Laydin Lentz.

Music is more than entertainment. Music heals and connects us, and Sunset Middle School is helping students to challenge themselves and become the best musicians possible.