Kayla Wenos, a first-year music education major at UW-Stevens Point, received coaching and training with Horn Professor Patrick Miles of the Music Department while she was still in high school.
 
 

UW-Stevens Point faculty provide free workshop to high school musicians

First-year music education major Kayla Wenos of Rhinelander worked with her University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point professors several times before she ever became a student at the university.

A French horn player, Wenos received coaching and training with Horn Professor Patrick Miles of the Music Department while in high school — two summers ago at Camp COFAC and again last spring at a free practice session offered by music faculty members for state solo and ensemble competitors.

“That practice session gave me a chance to play my piece for someone who had not heard it yet,” she said. “Professor Miles helped me fine tune it during that last week before state, and it made me feel more confident.”

The Solo/Ensemble Workshop, an opportunity for free, one-on-one practice sessions with one of 11 music faculty members, will be offered again this year on Saturday, April 25, a week before the state solo/ensemble competition.

High school students may make appointments with professors of bassoon, clarinet, euphonium, flute, harp, horn, oboe, percussion, saxophone, trombone, trumpet, tuba and voice. Sessions are held at the Noel Fine Arts Center on campus. Students must register in advance at www.uwsp.edu/music (click on Solo and Ensemble Workshop) and request a preferred appointment time.

In addition to the practice sessions, a 30-minute presentation will be offered with tips for excelling at solo and ensemble and college admission auditions. This will be held at 12:30 p.m. April 25 in Noel Fine Arts Center Room 240.

“These are students who already perform at a high level, so we offer them the chance to add extra polish to their pieces,” Music Department Low Brass Professor Patrick Lawrence said. “It helps with their confidence and success at competitions and auditions, as we also teach poise, how to enter a room, what to say with the judges and how to deal with nerves.”

Faculty members donate their time to the event, and enjoy offering their support of music education at the high school level, Lawrence said.

“This workshop is a wonderful opportunity for high school music students,” he said. “We’ll take as many as our coaches can accommodate.”

Now enjoying the study of music on a daily basis at UW-Stevens Point, Wenos would also highly recommend the free workshop.

“UW-Stevens Point professors are as excited about your performance as you are,” she said. “They take a real interest in what you’re doing.”

For more information on this summer’s CAMP COFAC for music, studio art or video production, go to www.uwsp.edu/campcofac.