The District 6 Large Group Festival was held at Greeley West this week, providing an excellent opportunity for musicians in the district to showcase their talents and receive valuable feedback from judges. This festival is a great platform for aspiring musicians to improve their skills and gain exposure from the community.

After the performance, middle and high school students got an opportunity to work with the judges in a small group clinic. Since Greeley West’s choir, band, and orchestra concerts are next week, this was a great opportunity for students to expand their knowledge and learn from other experienced musicians before their holiday concert. 

Greeley West’s choir teacher, Ms. Rosie O’Connor, believes that it’s beneficial for both students and music teachers to receive feedback. “It’s just a great opportunity to learn from other teachers and professors. When you work with the same group, as a teacher you don’t always hear when something needs work. When others come in to work with the kids maybe they can pick up something that I don’t recognize,” she shared.

Students are also grateful for the opportunity to enhance their performance.“The clinic was super beneficial. We got to hear from a second point of view rather than just hearing from (orchestra teacher) Mr. (Tom) Nugent. They honestly just helped us unify as a whole,” Sinfonietta student Israel Ramos shared. 

Band teacher, Mr. Keaton Michel, believes that it’s important to have these festivals to reflect on their personal strengths and weaknesses, and also hear other schools perform and learn from them as well. “Yes, it’s a good opportunity to get on the stage and perform, but it’s also awesome to reflect on what we’re doing really well and the things that need more work with the help of the experienced judges. I also get to expose my students to other groups of musicians and styles of music.” Michel explained.