“The mission of the Indiana State School Music Association, Inc. is to provide educationally evaluated music performance activities for the students and teachers of the state of Indiana, to assist in the development of performance oriented assessment of state and national musical academic standards, and to offer educational support to fulfill this mission,” reports the Indiana State School Music Association, more commonly known as ISSMA.

On Saturday, Jan. 30, forty-seven Delphi Community High School choir students traveled to Harrison High School to compete in the Vocal and Piano Solo & Ensemble contest. Including the Delphi Community Middle School students, there were a total of eighty-eight students who competed, and out of that eighty-eight students, twenty-eight gold and four silver ratings were received. Delphi’s advanced ensemble group, The Entertainers, received a gold rating in Group 1 with their song, “Je le vous dirai,” and will be competing in the State Solo & Ensemble on Feb. 20. Four students in Group 1 received a gold rating which means that they each qualified for State. Among the four students are Morgan Swick, singing “Homeward Bound,” Mackenzie Kirkwood, singing “Were You There,” Kate Layman, singing “Sometimes I Feel Like A Motherless Chile,” and Bella McGill, playing Chopin’s Valse No.1 Op.69 on the piano.

Mrs. Cotten, Delphi Community School Corporation’s new choir director, is ecstatic about her first year with Delphi at Solo & Ensemble. “I am very proud of our Delphi choir and piano students for all of their hard work,” she stated.

On Saturday, Feb. 6, eleven Delphi Community High School band students traveled to Twin Lakes Senior High School to compete in the Band Solo & Ensemble contest. Carol Johnson, Hannah Alexander, Sophia Gunther, Aaron LaFond, and Andrew Schoen received a gold rating in Group 2 with their song, “Zanzibar.” Kate Layman, Ashlea Stanley, Bella McGill, and Sami Gunther all entered Group 1. Unfortunately, none of these girls received a gold; therefore, no one from the Delphi High School Band is going to State Solo & Ensemble. However, Mr. Dennison was still incredibly proud of his talented band students. “We have a great number of high school students going this year and more students going Group 1 than ever before. I applaud all of the students who have gone above and beyond this year in band and I wish them all great success.”