Community

Powerful, melodic vocals resonated through von Kuster Hall, leaving the judges “blown away.” Twenty-six students competed in this year’s High School Vocal Competition at the Don Wright Faculty of Music. In its second year as an in-person event, the competition attracted twice as many participants as last year. “We were so impressed – not only with the turnout, but with their vocal talent, and the level of preparedness and professionalism they brought,” said Bethany Hörst, coordinator of the competition, and voice instructor at Western. “They are all so gifted in their own right.” Sal Rogers, a Grade 11 student from Saunders Secondary School in London, Ont. returned to the competition after finishing as a runner-up last year. “I think I’ve grown a lot since then,” said Rogers. “Now I’m trying to learn even more than I did before.” The competition gives students the opportunity to perform in a professional facility. “It’s such a nice environment here,” Rogers said. “I love the facilities. There are so many practice rooms, and the classrooms, auditorium areas and theatres are so beautiful. They’re really nice to sing in because of the way the sound carries.”  

Faculty of Music outreach offers musical programs for the community

Hörst and the other two judges, music professors Torin Chiles and Todd Wieczorek, evaluated contestants on their musicality, artistry, dramatic performance and vocal dynamics. As most participants performed at least one of their two songs in a language other than English, judges also considered their diction. The prize Rogers won at last year’s performance – a vocal lesson with Hörst – provided personalized instruction in the rendition of non-English songs. “For my lesson, I brought one of the pieces I performed in the competition and that helped a lot. The song was in Italian, so we worked mostly on technique, and getting my pronunciation exactly right.” The annual vocal competition is one of 12 different outreach programs with dozens of sessions held throughout the year at the Faculty of Music. They provide opportunities for community members and young musicians to learn from faculty members, students and visiting musicians. Many contestants previously attended some of these programs. The winner of the 2024 competition, Adrit Panda, a Grade 11 student from Barrie North Collegiate in Barrie, Ont, previously sung on the Western stage when he performed at the National Association of Teachers of Singing (NATS) Ontario Vocal Showcase, as well as the NATS national student auditions. Chiles has been following his growth as a vocalist since Panda’s earliest competitions as a young child, making it especially uplifting to watch him reach another pinnacle. “The calibre of the talent was just wonderful to see. l was absolutely blown away by Adrit Panda’s performance.”  

Competitors hope to study at Western

Arshida Khanjani, a Grade 11 contestant from Eastwood Collegiate in Kitchener, Ont. began singing in her primary school choir in Iran. Soon after, she started learning with a private teacher. Khanjani came to Canada in 2022, where she made a new discovery about her vocal skills. “I was an alto when I studied in Iran, but after I came here, I realized I’m actually a soprano. I can really sing in a higher range.” After developing her voice as a soprano, Khanjani decided to focus on operatic singing and debuted her new style at last year’s competition. “It was really amazing because I got to learn so much from all the judges, and about how to perform with a pianist accompanying me. That was all new for me because it was my first time performing opera.” Khanjani’s post-secondary aspirations include studying voice at Western. “The faculty here are so accomplished and I really like the teachers and the way they teach,” she said. Ryder DeGraaf, taking a gap year after graduating from Grand River Collegiate in Kitchener, Ont., applied to the competition to practice the songs he plans to perform in auditions to post-secondary music programs. DeGraaf’s passion for singing began in Grade 6, when his parents enrolled him in a musical theatre class, leading to vocal lessons with a teacher. “Since then, it’s been a happy journey down the music rabbit hole,” he said. “I hope to get into musical theatre.”  

Watching student vocalists grow ‘very rewarding’ for instructors

To minimize barriers to participation, there is no entry fee to the competition. Participants can use their own accompanist, though nearly all chose to work with one of the three pianists provided by the Faculty of Music at no cost. DeGraaf performed with Western collaborative pianist Paul Digout. Like the other participants, he was able to rehearse with Digout before the competition. DeGraaf said the connection between vocalist and pianist is key to getting into character. “Even for a first-time meeting, Paul followed me really well and I felt like I could sing how I wanted to sing, knowing he was always keeping pace with me.” DeGraaf has performed in two other competitions at Western and in five different musicals, including playing the lead in Shrek the Musical. Despite his familiarity with the stage and love of performing, he hasn’t yet escaped backstage jitters. “Before the show, I’m always terrified. But once I get out there, something just clicks and I’m in the moment.” DeGraaf attributes some of that on-stage confidence to working with a skilled collaborative pianist. “When the pianist can follow you, you can sing to your heart’s content without worrying about having to change your pace.” After the competition, participants received a recording of their performance and personal feedback from the judges. “It’s really rewarding to see the evolution of these singers and their performances,” Hörst said. “Several of us wrote how nice it was to hear them again. We do our very best to remember them and specifically comment on their progress.” Students said the musical kinship and meaningful feedback is turning them into better vocalists with every experience at Western. “I learn a lot whenever I come here,” DeGraaf said. “I’m applying what I’ve learned to polish my music even more and be that much better at my next audition.”