Region 3 Large Group Music Adjudication Festival held at Glenn Massay Theater

PALMER — Local high school students had the opportunity to perform and sharpen their skills during the annual Region 3 Large Group Music Adjudication Festival at the Glenn Massay Theater Monday, Feb. 28.

Colony High School hosted this year's festival. CHS music instructor Burton said that Wasilla High School hosted the 2022 event.

Burton said that all schools in district three are invited to participate in this event and alternate hosting duties each year, but the only schools that participated this year were CHS, Houston Junior Senior High School, and Palmer High School. He said there were nine groups from the three participating schools in this year's festival and he was impressed with all of their performances.

"The groups sound great. I'm excited about how it's gone," Burton said.

According to Burton, most states in the Lower 48 have regional contests that follow these types of festivals, but that hasn't been the case in Alaska due to logistics. He said it's still an important educational opportunity for Alaskan students because it gives them an opportunity to perform in front of an audience and work on their skills during the subsequent clinics held by event judges.

"They have to be prepared to do this kind of festival because it happens everywhere," Burton said. "It just helps them gain musical fluency and competence."

According to Burton, this tradition spans over decades, but this is the first time the festival was held at the Glenn Massay Theater. He said they have a great relationship with this venue, and it all worked out well since they already have the theater booked for their current "Wizard of Oz" production.

"It's great," Burton said.

Participating students put on a wide variety of musical performances. Burton said it was great seeing so many local students from different schools gather in one place and share their love of music with each other.

"We honestly don't get that much time to get together and sing with each other's groups," Burton said. "It's good for people who appreciate their craft to see them."

According to Burton, one of the main focuses of this festival is to push students outside their comfort zones and experiment with different styles of music while being evaluated for their overall flexibility. He said that judges offer guidance to help each group grow.

"If we don't do it for our students, I think we're doing them a disservice," Burton said. "Rankings and judging aren't what's important, but the experiences are."

This festival is open to the public and held every spring.

Contact Mat-Su Valley Frontiersman reporter Jacob Mann at jacob.mann@frontiersman.com