At the beginning of April, Norwood High School music students competed at MICCA, earning a number of medals and awards.
MICCA stands for Massachusetts Instrumental and Choral Conductors Association and is a statewide competition. The competition allows students to perform their practiced pieces for a panel of three judges. While performing, judges record their corrections and comments about the performance. After competing, the students and one assigned adjudicator go into a practice room to have a 30 to 45-minute clinic to help the group as a whole improve by offering advice and suggestions.
Norwood competed at Foxboro High, different from previous years, where they traveled to Bellingham. The orchestra earned a silver medal. The band also received a silver for their program, which included “In the Bleak Mid-Winter” by Gustav Holst, “March of the Belgian Paratroopers” by Pierre Leemans, and “Metrodance” by Randall D. Standridge.
“We ended up scoring silver, which was expected, but still a little disappointing,” freshman Flutist April Carey added after their victorious week.
“I think our group performed very well. Some parts went better than rehearsal, with only minor details not being as strong,” said senior Jason Delli Carpini, who plays the trumpet for the band.
He also added that socially, the band has been getting closer, which has helped reach their performance results.
“We’ve come a long way as an ensemble since starting in September. The way we played at MICCA sounded like a completely different band than the one we started with in the fall. As a group, we not only played together well, but also got along really well. We all hung out in the cafeteria before and after our performance, which speaks to how much of a team we are,” he said.
A second part of the MICCA competition was the orchestra, which is included in the instrumental portion. They were also critiqued while they performed and worked with a judge in a 30 to 45-minute session where comments and compliments were given.
Senior Juila D’Annunzio, who plays the violin, said, “Commentary was recorded, and the clinic allows one of the talented judges to work with us. They chose one of our pieces to focus on.”
With both high medal awards, the Norwood Music department continues to gain more appreciation each year. The collection of medals, trophies, and plaques is gradually growing, and students are already preparing for their next performance.
