Dexter High School Jazz Choir Receives 'Excellent' Rating at Music Festival

By Dexter High School Squall Staff

Every year, the choir participates in a festival like many other school music groups do. The group performs for judges, receives a rating, and is able to enjoy other groups as other schools show off their vocal strengths and work to each create music.

The jazz choir, Dexter’s highest level group, received an “excellent” at festival this year, which is the second highest rating a choir can be awarded, according to DHS senior Dan Hanrath.

“To get a rating of ‘superior,’ you have to be perfect. Perfect pitch, perfect sight-reading, perfect everything. So getting an ‘excellent’ is still really good,” Hanrath said.

Hanrath is involved with symphonic band, chamber orchestra, and jazz choir, and he hopes to pursue music in college.

“I want to be a music major, so having three of your classes be music is great. The music teachers are also some of the coolest teachers in the school,” Hanrath said.

Choir teacher Julie Bassett helped the students prepare for the festival, and had to work on coordinating the other schools that came to Dexter for the festival this year.

“(Mrs. Bassett) knows musical phrasing and the knowledge to keep us on the same page and answer questions. She can give us a third person perspective, because it’s hard to hear every detail when you’re in the middle of a group singing," Hanrath said.

The choir students were also expected to help out at the festival.

“We work backstage, run papers, and help judges,” Hanrath said. “It was cool to help so much.”

Editor's note: This article was originally published in the Dexter Squall. Articles published in the Squall are included on Patch.com weekly as part of a cooperative study program. Read more Squall stories online.