The Humboldt Music Festival continued this week with the Piano competitions Apr. 18-21 being performed at the St. Jerome Assembly Hall at the St. Peter鈥檚 College.
Laurel Teichroeb adjudicated the many performances and was impressed with the piano students in the Humboldt area and the support for music.
鈥淭he kids are very inspiring. They have a lot of good teaching and it鈥檚 really nice to see their personalities flow out through the music.鈥� Says Teichroeb.
Piano students brought many styles to their best to solos and duets. Everything from the classical, romantic, and baroque, right to the modern pop and jazz.
鈥淭here is a great selection and the kids are doing a wide variety which is nice to see,鈥� says Teichroeb.
Students even brought their own style to the ivories with students playing their own personal compositions, says Teichroeb.
More and more studies are coming out about the importance of kids learning music, says Teichroeb. Music enhances every part of the entire brain, she says.
Students learn so much from playing music and competing in competitions.
鈥淵ou learn self-discipline, you learn public speaking, how to present yourself a little bit more as you have to present your piano pieces,鈥� says Teichroeb.
Self discovery is also an important part of learning music, Teichroeb says, with students learning what kind of music they like or facing their fears when playing in public.
鈥淢usic enhances every part of your life,鈥� says Teichroeb.
Patience is something that Teichroeb emphasised to all the students she listened to during the competition.
Music is a lifelong endeavor and students need to be patient with themselves.
鈥淪ome of the great composers, Beethoven, Motzart, they all said it took them nine years before they felt comfortable playing the piano. And they were playing and performing how many hours a day.鈥�
Teichroeb urges students to just enjoy music for themselves and not compare themselves to other players.
The festival is a great time to see how far they can take their music and hone their skills, says Teichroeb.
The festival continues with Speech Art performances from Apr. 25 鈥� 27 at the Jerome Assembly Room at St. Peter鈥檚 Abbey and wraps up with the Final Awards Concert聽 on May 1 at 2:00 pm at Marysburg Assumption Church in Marysburg.
