Band Brings Home Top State Ratings

The Bearcats had a perfect sweep on Saturday. But this time there wasn’t a ball and bat, a basketball or football, or tennis racket or golf club involved in the competition.

This time the perfect sweep was accomplished with trombones, clarinets, saxophones, and bassoons.

Musicians in the Dexter High School Band competed Saturday in the Missouri State Music Contest and the seven entries from DHS walked away from the University of Missouri campus with a perfect sweep – seven entries and seven top rating of I from judges. 

The Missouri State Music Contest is the musical equivalent of an athletic state championship. Student soloists and ensembles qualify to participate in the state contest by first receiving a I rating at district contest. In the state contest judges rate everything from length (it can’t be too short or too long), intonation, accuracy of notes, dynamics, interpretation, difficulty - even if the music presented to the judge has been properly numbered.  This is serious business and students are graded on the highest of levels by college-level professors and judges.

Students from Dexter participating in the Missouri State Contest include:

Clarinet Sextet: Leah Noyes (senior), Chandler Crowley (sophomore), Erin Lauters, (8^th grade), Michaela Lesley (sophomore), Lacey Midgett (freshman), and Laren Dudley (senior). The ensemble performed “Siberian Saga”.

Bassoon Solo: Shelby Chappell (senior). Shelby performed “Allegro Spiritoso”.

Alto Saxophone Solo: Lauren Dudley (senior). Lauren performed “Eccles Sonata”.

Tenor Saxophone Solo: Brandon Moore (senior). Brandon performed “Concerto for Tenor Saxophone”.

Saxophone Quartet: Joseph Greer (junior), Zane Olson (senior), Brandon Moore (senior), and Lauren Dudley (senior). The ensemble performed “Quator”.

Trombone Solo: Alex Rybolt (junior). Alex performed “Morceau”.

Trombone Quartet: Alex Rybolt (junior), Brooks Probst (freshman), Kendra Stevenson (sophomore) and Chuy Lara (junior). The ensemble performed “Reflections”.

The statewide competition was held Saturday, April 28 on the campus of the University of Missouri – Columbia. Scott Rybolt is the band director at DHS.

Photo above: Student musicians at Dexter High School recently had a sweep at the Missouri State Music Contest and brought home all top ratings! Musicians include (front row, from left): Lacey Midgett, Chandler Crowley, Michaela Lesley, Leah Noyes, Lauren Dudley, Shelby Chappell and Kendra Stevenson; (Back row, from left) Chuy Lara, Joseph Greer, Brandon Moore, Zane Olson, Alex Rybolt and Brooks Probst. (ShowMe Times photo by Annabeth Miller)