West Washington is proud to feature our Performing Arts Program and the opportunities that are offered to our Senator students.
\r\n“A strong Performing Arts program has numerous benefits to the students at West Washington. Learning to read and perform music in a vocal or instrumental class helps develop language, reasoning, memorization, and increases coordination and creative thinking. Performing Arts teaches discipline, teamwork, and increases confidence in students. To many music students, their music class is their outlet and stress reliever. Not every student is an athlete or a mathlete. Creating music not only benefits the musician, but all who listen to it. Music is the universal language that we can all understand,” shared High School Music Teacher, Hannah Ledgerwood.
\r\nWest Washington’s Performing Arts Program offers a wide variety of classes to our students. Most of these classes are offered for 9-12th grade with the exception of 8th grade vocal music and 7th grade general music. West Washington students have the opportunity to pursue Piano 1 & 2, Applied Guitar 1 & 2, Musical Theatre, three levels of Chorus class, along with 7th grade general music class. West Washington is also excited to announce that we will be offering a Pep Band class to join piano, guitar, and percussion students next year.
\r\nMrs. Lederwood has developed a great culture that her students are recognizing. It is very impressive to hear what students are saying:
\r\n“Some of the things I like about Mrs. Ledgerwood's classes are that she doesn't mind taking the time to work one on one with students if they don't understand, she's very understanding with her classes, and extremely patient. Mrs. Ledgerwood loves to help students learn and is easily one of the most helpful teachers.” -Daniel Miner
\r\n“I really enjoy going to piano class every day. Mrs.Ledgerwood involves everyone and is very good at helping everyone out. As an athlete, piano is something different and out of my comfort zone, but Mrs.Ledgerwood makes it super fun.” -Meredith Deaton
\r\n“I love Mrs.Ledgerwood's class because she involves everyone and makes learning a new instrument fun and easy. She is a great teacher and makes my day better.” -Alaina Schmidt
\r\nWest Washington students perform in multiple activities each year including concerts, several athletic events, and solo and ensemble competitions. Mrs. Ledgerwood explained the Indiana State School Music Association hosts an annual Solo & Ensemble Competition across the state in which piano and vocal students are eligible to participate. Solo & Ensembles are a yearly opportunity for students in music programs to perform a solo, duet, and/or a small ensemble piece while getting feedback from a judge. This feedback includes a rating that can earn them a spot to perform at the state level if it’s really high. For some students, Solo & Ensemble is the only time they sing a solo or have the opportunity to sing outside of choir.
\r\nThis year, the West Washington Performing Arts department had 13 students that participated in the Solo & Ensemble Competition. Starting in the fall, the student worked with Mrs. Ledgerwood to pick out music they could perform that was aligned to their skill level, yet also challenged them to stretch their abilities. Throughout the fall and winter, the students worked on their selections after school with Mrs. Ledgerwood and Mr. Aaron Lucas, the Performing Arts Department accompanist, to prepare for the competition. On the day of the competition, each student spent time performing their selection in front of judges who assessed them on a variety of criteria, including their note accuracy, intonation, rhythm accuracy, tempo, pronunciation (for vocal entries), and overall stage presence. Based on those scores, students receive a rating of Gold, Silver, or Bronze. Students who entered the group with the most difficult music and received a Gold rating can advance to compete at the state competition held in Indianapolis in February.
\r\nWest Washington is excited to have 3 students, Evelyn Loughmiller, Chloe Gramlin, and Sarah Scott advancing to the state competition. Overall, the Performing Arts Department had 12 Gold medalists and 1 Silver medalists at the District Solo & Ensemble competition last weekend.
\r\nWest Washington students enjoyed competing in the Solo & Ensemble Competition and appreciate what they learned from this experience. “The Solo and Ensemble competition is a great experience. It's a good way to improve your skills as a musician. It is also a good experience with being in a professional environment. I can personally say that I've improved a lot and grown to be a better musician because of my experience with Solo and Ensemble and the Choir class at school. I love being a part of the music classes at school. Mrs. Ledgerwood is an amazing teacher and has really helped me grow my skills and understand music better,” explained West Washington student, Sarah Scott.
\r\nCongratulations to Evelyn Loughmiller, Chloe Gramlin, and Sarah Scott and best of luck at the state level Solo & Ensemble competition!
\r\nPlease contact Mrs. Hannah Ledgerwood for more information about Performing Arts if you have any interest in music including piano, guitar, choir, or musical theater.
