CGS Contestants bring home 2 Superior ratings, 30 Excellent ratings and 1 Good rating
By Jim Beers
CHESTER – Saturday February 28 was the 2026 IGSMA (Illinois Grade School Music Association) Solo and Ensemble Contest. This year’s contest was hosted at Carterville Middle School. Chester Grade School had 33 entries. Of those entries, there were 27 solo performances and six ensemble performances.
The Chester Grade School Band Director is Sue Colonel. She worked with each of the 33 performances and guided the student’s efforts. Accompanists for the students included Vicky Beers and Carl Handel.
Besides supervising and coordinating the 33 Chester contest entries, Mrs. Colonel was also very busy throughout the day with management duties at the contest. She has served for several years as an officer in the IGSMA organization and has to “double-up” with management aspects of the event on contest day.
This contest was very special for Mrs. Colonel for it was her final IGSMA State Solo and Ensemble Contest, both as an officer of the IGSMA and as a Chester Grade School Band Director. Mrs. Colonel will retire at the end of the 2025-2026 school year.
The 2026 Solo and Ensemble Contest was Mrs. Colonel’s last. This year’s event was bitter-sweet for her as well as for fellow IGSMA Officers, fellow band directors, and for her students and their parents.
Solo and Ensemble contests have two types of contest entries, Solo Entries in which individual students perform a musical number on their own, and Ensemble Entries, in which two or more students perform a musical selection together. CGS had a total of 33 entries, 27 solos and six ensembles.
Performances are evaluated by a judge, usually a band director or other musical professional, that is qualified to evaluate various aspects of a performance. After each performance, the judge provides suggestions and guidance to each performer and completes an evaluation form. The individual teachers at participating schools receive the judging forms from which to provide feedback to each performer.
Overall ratings for each performance are provided in one of five (5) categories. These are defined here.
U = Unsatisfactory (Please practice more!)
F = Fair (an OK performance showing basic weaknesses)
G = Good (Good work, but lacking in some important musical details)
E = Excellent (Excellent performance with some minor defects)
S = Superior (Outstanding in nearly every detail)
Chester Grade School musicians earned a total of 2 Superior ratings, 30 Excellent ratings, and 1 Good rating. Chester performers did not receive any Fair or Unsatisfactory ratings! These ratings speak very well for both Mrs. Colonel and her students!
Results from the 33 performances are as follow. The 27 Solo performances will be detailed first, followed by the six Ensemble performances.
Solo Performances (27)
Superior Ratings
Carter Davitz, Snare Drum, “Parade of the Clicking Sticks”
Arie Lee, Flute, “Rosamunde”
Excellent Ratings
Alexander Jarrett, Trombone, “Fandango”
Alexus Shrout, Clarinet, “Contradanse”
Ally Asbury, Flute, “Cavatina”
Camron McClaine, Trombone, “Hippety Hop”
Chris Eggemeyer, Tenor Saxophone, “The Entertainer”
Ealijah McGuire, Clarinet, “Dance Song”
Edwin Marquez, Clarinet, “Pepperino”
Jackson Conway, Trumpet, “Marine’s Hymn”
Jackson Powell, Alto Saxophone, “Little March”
Josiah Bert, Snare Drum, “Parade of the Clicking Sticks”
Jude Medrano, Alto Saxophone, “Fandango”
Kaylee Hernandez-Huerta, Clarinet, “Cavatina”
Lorenzo Brooks, Snare Drum, “Echoing Sticks”
Maggie Stueve, Flute, “The Entertainer”
Myah Ordonez, Clarinet, “Star of the East”
Parker Thompson, Trombone, “Marine’s Hymn”
Presley Howell, Clarinet, “Cavatina”
Ryder LeGrand, Snare Drum, “American Patrol”
Silas Kinkade, Trumpet, “Marine’s Hymn”
Sophia Bogard, Flute, “Melody in F”
Suhaily Torres , Flute, “Kulau Menuett”
Tatum Henderson, Baritone, “Cactus Jack”
Violet Carter, Trumpet, “Wooden Shoe Dance”
Xander Greene, Flute, “Scherzino”
Zury Gomez, Clarinet, “Dance Song”
Ensemble Performances (6)
Excellent Ratings
Trumpet Trio, Jackson Conway, Silas Kinkade, Nicandro Cortes, “Calypso Morning”
Flute Duet, Xander Greene, Arie Lee, “Ah so far! from Martha”
Clarinet Trio, Kaylee Hernandez Huerta, Presley Howell, Myah Ordonez, “Calypso Morning”
Trombone Duet, Alex Jarrett & Parker Thompson, “Calypso Morning”
Saxophone Duet. Jude Medrano & Ryker Ridings, “Amigos”
Good Rating
Mixed Wind Duet, Ally Asbury & Madi Fuentes, “Ode to Joy”
Following the contest and receiving the results, Mrs. Colonel had the following comments. “Congratulations to our CGS Musicians who performed at the IGSMA State Solo and Ensemble Contest today in Carterville! Our kids earned 2 Superior ratings, 30 Excellent ratings and 1 Good rating!”
“I really cannot believe that this was my LAST solo and ensemble contest. It doesn’t seem possible. Thank you so much to Tammy Terry Liefer for waking up early to chaperone my kids while I helped with contest.”
“Thanks to our absolutely amazing accompanists, Carl Handel (Trish Handel) and Vicky Beers (Jim Beers). They are always so wonderful with our kids! We are lucky to have them! Finally thanks to Dannyel Norrington for always hosting such an organized contest!”
Chester Grade School Band student, Arie Lee was one of only two CGS students to earn the top rating on her Flute Solo at the 2026 IGSMA State Solo and Ensemble Contest Saturday February 28. Arie performed a Flute Solo titled, “Rosamunde” and earned a rating of “Superior”. Her judge was Luke Fleisher. Her CGS Band Director is Sue Colonel. Jim Beers Photo
Edwin Marquez, a Chester Grade School Music Student, earned an “Excellent” rating for his Flute Solo titled, “Pepperino”. He performed his solo at the State IGSMA Solo and Ensemble Contest Saturday February 28 at Carterville, Illinois Middle School.
Chester Grade School Music Student Camron McClaine performed a trombone solo titled, “Hippety Hop” Saturday February 28 at the 2026 IGSMA State Solo and Ensemble Contest. The event was hosted at Carterville Middle School. He performed for Judge Luke Fleisher and earned an “Excellent” rating. Sue Colonel is his CGS Band Director. Jim Beers Photo