ISSMA stands for Indiana State School Music Association, and is an opportunity for students in band, choir and orchestra to exhibit their musical skill set and in return receive opportunities for further competition or constructive criticism.
“Solo and Ensemble is a musical competition where musicians can prepare a song to play with either a small group (ensemble) or as a solo,” senior band member, Thomas Flamm, said. “They are judged on a scale depending on how difficult the selection of music chosen is. It is a great way for young musicians to showcase skills and receive feedback.”
ISSMA required an intense workload from participants, as competitors must practice their chosen pieces for weeks at a time in hopes of moving on to the next level of competition.
“The work leading up to it includes focused group practices and small group sectionals to perfect the hardest parts of the piece,” junior band member, Keira Mok, said.
Crown Point participants did incredibly well during the ISSMA competitions, with many solo and ensemble competitors qualifying for the state competition and even receiving a gold score at the district level.
“Overall I feel like I did a pretty good job especially when I had hard group one solos,” senior choir member, Caden Daniels, said. “I got three golds: one on my alto sax solo, one on my soprano sax solo and one on my saxophone choir.”
Competitors are incredibly thankful for the opportunities provided to them both in the ISSMA competition and by advancing. The overall goal for participants is to simply challenge themselves to improve as much as possible, and strive for perfection.
“This was my first time doing a solo and I was appreciative of the experience and of the people who helped me get my song to where it needed to be,” junior orchestra member, Vanessa Cervantes, said. “I think it is really important to get input on your skills in order to grow.”
Overall, ISSMA is nothing less than a way for students to be recognized for all of the hard work that they do, and to further improve their skills through discipline and constructive criticism. The ISSMA competition allows for participants to showcase their abilities and be recognized by professionals for their talents.
“The experience is always stressful yet rewarding because playing in front of a judge is never easy, but it is worth it because afterwards you get to celebrate for all of the effort that you put in,” senior orchestra member, Abigail Shih, said.
Solo and ensemble ISSMA for orchestra and band was hosted at Crown Point High School. While ISSMA was a successful event, it took an incredible amount of effort and planning by students and staff alike.
