Credit: Ainsley Jay

In the 2023-2024 school year, 29 WHS students made senior districts, and 16 received All-State recommendations. “[Getting selected for senior district is] really a benchmark of accomplishment,” Director of Fine Arts Susan Memoli said. “It says a lot for their resume [and] that they have accomplished a really high level of proficiency.”

On Friday, Jan. 5, 29 Wayland High School students who were selected for senior districts attended the Eastern District Music Festival at Milton High School to perform in their respective ensembles. On Saturday, Jan. 6, the students auditioned for All-States. In senior districts, musicians from Eastern Massachusetts compete for select spots in the Senior Festival, while in All-States, musicians from the entirety of Massachusetts compete for select spots in the All-State Concert.

Some believe that in the Eastern Massachusetts district, senior districts are extremely competitive for high school chorus, band and orchestra players to get selected for. During the audition process, students learn and perform a piece, play major keys and sight-read a piece chosen by the judges.

“[Sight-reading is] not like this tuneful thing that you can just figure out on the fly,” WHS Director of Fine Arts Susan Memoli said. “You have to actually be good at rhythms, counting and interpretation and all those things to do right at that moment. The scores are what determine membership.”

This school year, 29 WHS students made senior districts, and 16 received All-State recommendations. All-State rehearsals will occur in the coming weeks.

“To know that there’s so many high level musicians in our area, and all they have done [is amazing],” Memoli said. “Their preparation, their intonation, their musicality, their rhythm, all those things are so good. [Getting selected for senior districts is] really a benchmark of accomplishment. It says a lot for [the students’] resumes [and] that they have accomplished a really high level of proficiency.”

Freshman Maggie Agyeman is a chorus member at WHS. Not only did she make senior districts, but she also was one of 16 kids to receive an All-State recommendation.

“I’m really grateful for it,” Agyeman said. “I was honestly surprised that I got in, but I also just take it as motivation because [now] I know that I can go further with my singing.  I’m glad that [at] Wayland we have the opportunity to do these things. [Chorus teacher Rachel] Caroll and  Memoli are so encouraging of having their students audition.”

Prior to Agyeman’s high school career in chorus, she made junior districts as an eighth grader. She is currently a member of the WHS Muses, the high school’s all-female acapella group. At the senior district festival, the top 50% in orchestra, band and chorus ensemble received recommendation to auditors for All-States.

“I just think it’s really interesting because sometimes you’d expect [senior districts] to be more of a pretentious environment, but it’s really not,” Agyeman said. “It’s all about making music and it’s so much easier to go into [the festival] with the mindset of meeting or wanting to meet new people. It’s really nice to get to know other musicians like you.”

Among the Wayland musicians at the senior district festival, nine were band members. Three of the nine received All-State recommendations: junior John Mcgonegal, junior Aidan Huang and senior Ayush Kumar.

“It was my first time going there,” McGonegal said. “It was pretty fun, but also a little scary to just be there with everyone. I know they’re really skilled.”