The music department presented the 68th Annual Golden Empire Music Festival choir performance in the Recital Hall on Saturday.
The music festival featured judged performances throughout the day from middle school and high school students from John Adams Schola Cantorum, Arden Middle School Choir, Sheldon Concert Choir, John Adams High School Virtus, El Camino High School Madrigal Choir, Twelve Bridges High School Concert Choir and Sheldon Vocal Ensemble.
“This is particularly of great interest to CRC because it is the first time we’re hosting this long-running event,” said Music Professor Omari Tau. “Just in terms of its own festival, it’s a great way for students to learn about choral singing and they get to not only perform, but they get to also have work one-on-one with the different adjudicators.”
Tau said middle school and high school students need to know what options they have moving ahead.
“For them to know that CRC is here and that it has a vibrant program of its own, it is a beautiful campus that will interest them,” Tau said. “I’ve already seen a number of people say that this was their first time on our campus.”
“There’s all kinds of really great perks to being a part of the program, but it’s also an important element to learning more about your art and developing your skill,” Tau said.
Tau said for this festival, CRC students learned about choral repertoire and the behind the scenes elements required to put on a music festival and how it’s not just a performance.
“There are so many high stakes associated with putting on an event, such as just the main preparation, having the space available for people, how do they warm up, how do they get on and off the stage,” Tau said.
Fourteen-year-old Sheldon High School student Nancy Dau performed in the Sheldon Concert Choir performance. Dau said she was excited about performing at CRC.
“It was a really good experience because this is my first ever festival,” Dau said. “I’ve never been on a college campus, it was my first time. It feels good to be performing here.”
Music Professor Maxwell Kiesner said these events are fun to watch and participate in because the students are excited to perform and try to be the best they can be. He also said that it’s good to see people back performing in live venues.
“You see immediate growth and progress and change in the span of a half hour performance and it’s always exciting as a professional music educator to kind of see that,” Kiesner said. “For me professionally, it’s good to watch and see what’s going on in this field.”