The Solo and Ensemble festival is an annual musical event that occurred March 5 through March 12 for choir and March 23 for band, where LT’s music students play in either solos or small groups to perform in front of judges who evaluate their playing.
“It’s a chance to sing in smaller groups, or with individual solos that [we] normally wouldn’t get to play,” varsity choir member Emmet Gripp ‘26 said.
Solo and Ensemble is different from a traditional concert; instead of participating in a larger performance, each musician plays a crucial part in the solo and ensemble.
“There are a lot fewer people covering a part, meaning it’s a lot more stripped down,” Gripp said. “There’s more room for error, and you just have to be a lot stronger than normal.”
For the choir exclusively, there are three rounds of playing and critiquing. Not everyone gets to play every round; only a handful of choir performers are able to reach the coveted third round, Gripp said.
“In the first round, everyone in the choir is required to sing, whether it be a solo or an ensemble,” Gripp said. “Then clinicians [judges] choose a select few for the next round, [where] they use what they’ve learned from their previous session in front of a clinician, then the list is whittled down even more for the third round, where each participant gets a master class in their piece.”
The judges are not only there to evaluate but to also give advice on how one’s performance can be improved for the piece played and for the future as well, trumpet player Francisco Garcia ‘27 said.
“The judges are specialized in their own area,” Garcia said. “We’ll go through the song, and they’ll tell us to go over parts of the song, and then we’ll see what needs to be fixed.”
Solo and Ensemble is mostly a student-driven activity; once music gets assigned, musicians are responsible for scheduling practices and getting ready to perform, Garcia said.
“Practicing with your friends, coming up with dates, practicing on your own, it’s a lot of work you do on your own,” Garcia said. “When you’re done, you realize you can play without the guidance of the directors.”
While Solo and Ensemble primarily serves as a summative grade in classes, the festival is more than just an assignment, it’s a way for LT’s music students to connect with peers and experience their music in an environment where they are the ones driving the performance, Garcia said.
“Beyond the stress of learning your own piece, it’s just a grand old time,” Gripp said. “I love being able to pop into the different rooms and be able to hear people’s solos.”