On Friday November 15th, Junior and Senior vocalists from OCSA went to their yearly solo and ensemble MPA. Many of them were able to get superiors and qualify for state MPA that will be held in Spring.

Although this is something we have come to expect from our vocalists, many of them were extremely nervous going into this process. “Most of it is self-prepared,” said Michelle Cardenas, a Senior Vocalist at OCSA. “We get our music, and from day one it falls on us to ask questions and learn our music.” She explained that although students can ask Ms. Testa and Mr. Carswell for help, they are usually occupied with other classes and performances. This means they rarely have the time to listen to the vocalists perform individually. To many, this is concerning because they know that if they’re not able to get superiors at Districts and pass to States, they will have to complete an alternate assignment to make up for the zero they will receive in the grade book.

Although a lot of students were stressed leading up to the MPA’s, many are excited and happy with their results. We’re looking forward to more success from our Vocal department and wish them all the best of luck preparing for states!