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VOLUME 51 ISSUE 17 1015 Division St. Cedar Falls, Iowa 50613
NCTE Winners 2011
How does it feel to win the National Council of Teachers of English award?
Junior Gwen Farber “I’m so freaking excited! I think my writing is pretty decent, so having a vote of confidence is very flattering.”
“At first I was surprised. I mean all I know is I turned in my best work and hoped for the best. There were so many good writers there too.”
Junior Rhydian Talbot “I feel human. I was really proud of my work.”
Junior Karl Sadkowski
CF artists earn spots at Hearst show He said he thinks the musicians’ showcase is a good way to get out of the normal lesson routine and up on a The Hearst Center’s gallery stage. He has been taking private voice was quiet with nervous tensions as lessons for 10 years and has performed participants made last minute checks in this recital before. He said he comes over their music notes before giving back to sing again because it is such a them up in the must-be-memorized good experience. auditions for the Young Artist Senior Another participtaing CFHS musiDivision Concert. Five cian claims Cedar Falls High School “You get to conquer to have alstudents auditioned for ways been your nerves and chal- involved in the concert, which will be held on Saturday, lenge yourself to pre- music. March 6. SophoCategories they chose pare and learn new more to audition in include McKenzie music.” voice and piano. The Sesterhenn —McKenzie Sesterhenn judge was a professor said she Young Artist participant has been from the University of Iowa. involved For most of the musimusically cians, their teachers recommended since kindergarten. them for this concert as a way to perThis year she auditioned with two form in front of others and gain some pieces that she is also preparing for experience. Senior Austin Javellana solo ensemble. She said that her usual said, “This concert is really nice benerves were calm for this performance cause it gives you a chance to get up in and instead of the panic that comes front of a judge and get comments so with performing, she was prepared that you can improve before contest.” enough to just enjoy it. He will be performing “Blow Blow “What I like about auditions and Thou Winter Wind” by Quilter and performing is that you get a chance for “Spirate, pur Spirate” by Danoudy. someone you’re not used to, to listen
Maya Amjadi Staff Writer
and tell you what they think,” Sesterhenn said. “It’s good to get a different point of view on things, and I usually like to try out the judge’s tips and see if they work for me.” She will be performing “Aria di Nanninah” by Franz Joseph Haydn and “Spepherd! Thy Demeanour Vary” by Thomas Brown. Sophomore Spencer Gray will be performing two movements of the Gershwin prelude as a duet. He said the judge’s comment sheet is really just a “sheet of recommended fixes,” and although he may try out the suggestions, it has to be up to the performer how he will play the music. “In the end, you get to interpret the piece and make the feelings the piece offers, your own.” Gray said that he has been preparing the preludes for about a month and is excited to hear everyone play. “Things like this are always a good experience because you get to conquer your nerves and challenge yourself to prepare and learn new music,” Sesterhenn said. The students’ musical talents will be showcased in the recital, and Cedar Falls High School students and staff are invited to attend this free event.
Jazz teams place high at Tall Corn Fest Lucas Hamilton Staff Writer
At Cedar Falls High School, there are two extra curricular groups from the music wing that meet and practice rigorously to play music. These groups are Jazz I and Jazz, Too! They perform at competitions all throughout the year, but the most recent and notable was the Tallcorn Jazz Festival, held on Friday, Feb. 18. The Tallcorn Jazz Festival was held at UNI, and members of the jazz bands spent all day listening to other jazz bands from across the state and performing their own pieces. Jazz, Too! director Gerald Ramsey said, “It is entertaining to listen to other bands perform from across the state, and it allows us to see how we stack up against them in our playing
abilities.” Not many schools have two strong jazz bands like CFHS does. Out of 19 bands in the 4A Class, Jazz I came in at third place. In the second band class, Jazz, Too! took second place. Commenting on the high placement of the bands, Jazz I director Kyle Engelhardt said, “With both bands placing within the top three, it is definitely a first for me as a director. The hard work that the students put in definitely paid off, and they put on a fantastic show.” The audience agreed that the performances from the Cedar Falls bands were more than ordinary seeing as they gave an immediate standing ovation to Jazz I after it finished its final piece, which was also a first for the band. Upcoming competitions include Districts, which will be held at Wa-
terloo West High School on Saturday, March 5. The top two bands from this performance will then go on to perform at Jazz Championship at the Civic Center in Des Moines. Once those performances are over with, the jazz season will be concluded. As the seniors perform for the last time with the beloved jazz bands, it is a bittersweet good-bye. Senior Kaiti Faye said, “I might have shed a tear at Tallcorn. I can neither confirm nor deny that ...” Englehardt also expressed bittersweet sentiments at season’s end. “Whenever seniors leave for college, it is always sad to see them leave, but most continue to play through college. We are lucky to have a deep pool of talent here and have people available to step up and replace the wonderful players we have now.”
Tracy Lukasiewicz photo
Junior Ian Abbott plays his tenor sax in the Jazz I ensemble.