St. Cecilia Academy Students Earn Seats in the Mid-State and All-State Orchestras

Freshman violinists Sam Coplan, Julia Petroni, Mariam Smith, and junior violinist Saule Bernotas auditioned and earned spots for the Mid-State ensemble. To make the Mid-State Orchestra, students auditioned in the Fall, which included three parts: scales, prepared music, and sight reading. At Mid-State, the highest-scoring musicians continue to the All-State Orchestra. The performances by Bernotas and Coplan guaranteed them seats at All-State.

Preparing for their Mid-State auditions took months of practice. Bernotas said, “We get scales, play an excerpt, and sight read, and I polished these every day for about three months leading up to the audition.” Petroni had a similar experience. She shared, “My teacher was a big help to me in preparing and rigorously practicing the material months prior to the audition. I worked hard improving my sight-reading skills and playing with accompanied recordings to get the tempo up to speed.”

Once chosen, the St. Cecilia students practiced for many hours to prepare for the Mid-State Orchestra performance held in January at Rockvale High School in Murfreesboro. The schedule was extensive, including more than 11 hours of rehearsals before the performance. “I have wanted to ask the Tennessee Titans to send their physical, massage, and ice therapists to Mid-State and All-State,” said Toni Ferguson, SCA violin teacher. “That is a lot of hours to play an instrument, and the All-State schedule is even more intense.”

Of her Mid-State experience, Smith said, “It was a fun event, and I got to know my stand partner well.” Petroni agreed, “It was such a great experience to play alongside other talented musicians and to talk with those from across Middle Tennessee.”

During the Mid-State performance, Bernotas placed ninth for the 11^th-12^th Orchestra, and Coplan was fourth for the 9^th-10^th String Orchestra. Their rankings ensured seats at All-State, which was held in April at the Gaylord Opryland Hotel in Nashville.

When asked how she felt about being named to All-State, Bernotas said, “I was honored and excited. It is crazy to think that we played with the most advanced high school instrumentalists in the region, and it does not quite feel real that we had this wonderful opportunity.” She appreciated performing and connecting with young, talented musicians and experienced conductors.

“When I found out I got in, I was excited because All-State is only for high school, so I had never done it before,” explained Coplan. “My friends encouraged me by saying it was fun and a great experience, and they were right.” She enjoyed meeting new people and learning from them.

“The girls had a wonderful time, and both played so well,” said Ferguson about All-State. “The music was very difficult, and they performed it beautifully.”

Coplan, Petroni, and Smith are graduates of Overbrook Catholic School, and Bernotas from Martin Luther King, Jr. Academic Middle School. Bernotas and Coplan are members of Christ the King Catholic Church, Petroni of St. Henry Catholic Church, and Smith of the Cathedral of the Incarnation.

The Middle Tennessee School Band and Orchestra Association was organized in 1938 with the purpose of promoting the study of instrumental music through band and orchestra programs in the public and private schools of Middle Tennessee. The MTSBOA is an affiliate member of the Tennessee Music Education Association.