Article in the SJ about State Championships

May 15, 2010

Sprague, South win state orchestra titles

West Salem High takes fourth place in symphony division

By Barbara Curtin
Statesman Journal

CORVALLIS — Members of the Sprague String Camerata were able to put jitters from a bus crash behind them Friday and turn in a performance that earned them first place in the string ensemble division of the OSAA Orchestra State Championships. They earned third place in the full symphony competition, which took place later Friday evening.

Musicians from South Salem High School, which has been Sprague's close rival for trophies over the years, won the championship in the full symphony division. They won second place in the string ensemble division.

West Salem High also took home a trophy, earning fourth place in the full symphony division.

Dijana Ihas, director of Sprague's string ensemble and co-director, with Richard Greenwood, of the symphony, said the key was "the quality and the difficulty of the music and the level of preparation, so even an accident like this one today did not diminish the quality of the performance."

South High's Brandon Correa, who is co-director of the school's symphony with Mary Lou Boderman, said of his musicians, "They just played with so much spirit. They truly were able to embody the emotion in the best literature in the world."

Although the young musicians, clad in black dresses and tuxes, took center stage all day, the event also was bittersweet for scores of Salem-Keizer music parents who attended.

"This is my 11th year in a row coming to state choir and orchestra competitions," said Vernita Reyna, whose daughter Brianne was playing violin with the Sprague orchestra.

"I am a huge fan of music in general and our orchestra in particular. Every performance they have is really wonderful."

Kathy Lincoln and her husband, Tom Tomczyk, were attending their sixth and final state orchestra competition. Their daughter Sophie Tomczyk, a senior violinist at South Salem High School, will be graduating and heading to the University of Oregon. Older daughter Elizabeth, who played cello with South's orchestra, has moved on to Oregon State University.

"We've heard a lot of great music over the years," said Kathy.

Tom helped chaperone the orchestra on its trip to Europe when Elizabeth was a freshman, and he still marvels at the beauty of the music those young musicians made in the churches they visited.

It's been quite a ride for a guy who took just one year of piano lessons.

"We didn't have a lot of culture in our lives, and all of a sudden we're in with this group," he said in wonder.

Kami Hettwer, a West Salem High School music parent, said she still has jitters after four years of attending state competitions. Her sons are Matt, a senior trombone player, and Josh, a junior clarinetist.

"You never know if the adrenaline will help them perform better or worse or how the group will do as a whole," she said.

Jackie Maltzan, whose son Garrett is a junior and a bass player, said people outside the music circles would be amazed to know how much these students rehearse. West's orchestra has been meeting two nights a week, plus sectionals, plus classes with guest clinicians, on top of their regular classes, she said.

But all the driving and her service on the music booster board pay off, she said.

"You know the kids your kids are hanging out with," she said. "They're good kids, and their parents, too."

bcurtin@StatesmanJournal.com or (503) 399-6699

Additional Facts
At a glance
These were the top-scoring schools at Friday's OSAA State Orchestra Championships:

String Orchestra

1. Sprague High School

2. South Salem High School

3. Crescent Valley High School

4. Clackamas High School

Full Orchestra

1. South Salem High School

2. Reynolds High School

3. Sprague High School

4. West Salem High School


Note: McKay High School's string orchestra qualified for state but did not earn one of the limited number of slots at the competition.