Artworks still giving students opportunity to perform

Home Culture Artworks still giving students opportunity to perform

In an effort to encourage arts in the community, Artworks, the Art Council of Hillsdale County, invited music students from sixth through twelfth grade to compete in its 9th Annual Music Performance Competition on Sunday.

To spread the word, Artworks councilwoman Renee Nestorak ’10 sent letters to every teacher and private music instructor in the county. Twenty-five students entered the competition.

Contestants could enter five categories: vocal, strings, other instrumental, keyboard, and ensemble. Each category had cash prizes for first, second, and third place performers.

Don Heckenlively, president of Artworks, said that events like the performance competition motivate young musicians to stick with their instruments.

“Arts are part of civilization,” he said. “The fine art addresses finer qualities of the human soul. This music helps nurture younger performers as they develop as musicians. The youngsters are almost having a miniature master class based on the feedback from the judges.”

Unexpectedly, this year’s competition saw a large drop in submissions from previous years. In the past, more than 40 students had entered the competition.

Nestorak said she guesses the drop in entries may have been due to the competition’s title change. For the past eight years, the annual concert had been called a scholarship competition. Awards for the top three performers were given in the form of scholarship money for books, private music lessons, or money toward instrument supplies. Although the adjustment allowed more spending freedom with cash prizes, Nestorak said that the title change from scholarship competition to performance competition may have intimidated young musicians.

“For the past couple of years entries have dwindled,” Nestorak said. “Some of the sections weren’t even applied to. Changing the name could have scared off some people. But we’ll figure out why there was a drop in entries.”

For the past 20 years, the Arts Council for Hillsdale County has engaged in community arts programs from theatre to music to visual arts. Statewide programs like the Michigan Council for Arts and Cultural Affairs have extended funds to local groups like Artworks to promote community fine arts.

Although Heckenlively studied science as a graduate at the University of Denver, music has always been a part of his life. For the past 50 years, his music career has ranged from playing the organ at church to singing in barbershop quartets and church choir.

“Arts and cultural organizations contribute to the economic mentality of Hillsdale county,” Heckenlively said. “The arts are what makes us civilized.”