By Kaytlin Johnson
The Goddard High School Orchestra made a strong impression this past Saturday at the KSHSAA Regional Solo and Ensemble Festival at Andover High School. With a dedicated group of musicians participating, the orchestra showed not just their skill, but the extreme effort and passion they’ve put in all year.
From long rehearsals to their final performances, students demonstrated the results of months of hard work. Regionals became a chance to grow as musicians, push past expectations, and represent our school with pride.
Several students earned Excellent (2) ratings, including Sarah Ragain for her cello solo and Isaiah Bruce for his violin solo. These scores reflect strong playing, musical understanding, and a developed program.
Even more impressive, many students received the highest possible score, Outstanding (1) ratings, earning them a spot at the state festival this April in Salina. This highlights not only individual talent, but also the unity of the orchestra.
Outstanding performances included multiple ensembles, such as viola duos by Mackenzie Wyeth and Emalyn Harderson, and Brooklyn Jones and Mackenzie Wyeth. The cello quartet made up of Colin Thurlby, Cole Lewis, Kate Prindle, and Liliana Rising delivered a powerful performance, while the string octet with Nathaniel Berry, Amelia Carpenter, Christian Garrelts, Maryah Jones, Emma Litwin, Jonah Pinkston,Jayro Salas-Triana, and Jovan Salas-Triana showed the depth and connection of the group.
Additional standout soloists included Brooklyn Jones on viola, Lainey Plank on cello, Mackenzie Wyeth on viola, and Colin Thurlby, whose cello solo earned a perfect 80 out of 80-an accomplishment that shows both precision and dedication.
For Mackenzie Wyeth, “earning an Outstanding rating shows that I did put in the work to give the solid performance I was wanting,” she reflected. “It allowed me to meet my goal of earning that rating on my solo, which I’ve been working toward since freshman year.”
Wyeth also shared how she prepared for regionals. “I started practicing my solo before winter break. After break, and within the last two to three months, I really focused on practicing and allowing myself to feel the music so I could play it at an Outstanding level,” Wyeth said.
Colin Thurlby viewed his perfect score as more of a checkpoint than a finish line. “A perfect rating doesn’t exist to me. It might look that way on paper, but all it shows is that my practice paid off and I still have a way to go to sound the best I possibly can,” he said. “But it is nice to see a good score.”
He credited his preparation for his performance. “I prepared by practicing about two hours every day for about a month and working with music professionals around Wichita,” Thurlby shared.
For many students, regionals is a memorable part of their high school experience. Whether performing solo or in a group, each musician plays a role in something bigger through hard work, teamwork, and a shared love of music.
As these students prepare for the state festival, they carry the pride of representing GHS. Their success at regionals reflects the time they’ve put in, the support from each other, and the guidance from their director.
This is what high school is really about: putting in the work, growing along the way, and celebrating success together. The GHS Orchestra set the bar high and they’re not done yet.