UW-Green Bay hosts top student musicians for WSMA
Contact: Coral Graszer; Kevin Thays
Phone: 608-850-3566
E-mail: cgraszer@wsmamusic.org; thaysk@wsmamusic.org
Web: www.wsmamusic.org
Thousands of middle and high school students will head to UW-Green Bay this Saturday (May 7) for their opportunity to perform in a Wisconsin School Music Association (WSMA) State Music Festival — one of the largest student events of its kind in the nation.
Statewide, more than 32,000 student musicians are taking part in WSMA State Music Festival sessions held on 10 university campuses throughout the state. UW-Green Bay’s session runs from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday. The event is open to the public, free of charge.
“The WSMA State Music Festival is an enriching day for participating performers, their parents and area music teachers,” said Kevin Collins, a professor of music and festival manager for UW-Green Bay. “It is also an important day for the UW-Green Bay campus because the State Music Festival is one of the largest events the music department sponsors, allowing the university to showcase our facilities and encouraging interaction with area middle and high school musicians and their families.”
In order to participate in the WSMA State Music Festivals, students must first earn a “starred first” rating in Class A (the most difficult music) at a WSMA District Music Festival, hosted by schools for students in grades 6-12. Students can select from a variety of instrumental and vocal solo and ensemble categories for their performances. Over 225 district festivals were held in Wisconsin during the past six months, involving more participants than any other student activity in the state.
Wisconsin universities that hosted WSMA State Music Festivals April 30 included UW-Whitewater, UW-Platteville, UW-Milwaukee and UW-Oshkosh. West De Pere High School is scheduled to host the WSMA State Music Jazz Festival on May 6. Festivals will be held May 7 at Cardinal-Stritch University, UW-Eau Claire, UW-Green Bay, UW-La Crosse, UW-Parkside and UW-Stevens Point.
You can learn more about WSMA State Music Festivals and other programs by visiting www.wsmamusic.org. WSMA State Music Festival information will be posted as available. Schedules and results will be searchable by school, student and event number.
Wisconsin School Music Association (WSMA) is a service organization with more than 950 member public and private schools. Each year, more than 220,000 students take the initiative to become involved in WSMA activities, including District and State Music Festivals, State Honors Projects, State Marching Band Championships and Concert Festivals. WSMA is governed by a board of directors made up of superintendents, principals and other officers from all over the state.
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