High School Musicians, Singers Recognized Students Take Part In Auditions, Qualify For Place On All-State Choir, Orchestra

Sat., Jan. 1, 2000

Joyce Nowacki Correspondent

Lakeland schools

Several Lakeland High School students won placement in the all-state choir and orchestra.

First-place alto was Anna Crecelius, a senior at Lakeland. Taking third-place soprano was Kara Kiefer, a freshman from Lakeland Junior High. Ruby Clapper, a junior, won placement in the honor choir and also took fifth-place soprano II for Region I in the all-state choir.

Clapper said students took part in the live auditions in Coeur d’Alene at Lake City High. She and the others were asked to sing a series of two-step scales with the words, “I love to sing,” seven times. They also sang the first verse and chorus of “America the Beautiful.”

“For honor choir, we had to make a tape for tryouts,” said Clapper. She said she’s excited about the opportunity to work with students from other schools and being a part of the all-state choir.

“I know that I am not the best and feel that I can learn a lot at state,” Clapper said. She has been in choir class since seventh grade and has performed solos in concerts.

She plans to attend North Idaho College after graduation next year and hopes to be part of the choir at NIC.

Auditions for the all-state band and orchestra also were performed.

One student from the Lakeland band placed in the all-state orchestra. Marie Arnold, a junior, won second chair playing oboe.

Arnold said they were given a set of scales and allowed to practice for the tryouts. She has been playing oboe since sixth grade. “The oboe is a double-reed instrument and is the closest instrument to the human voice,” said Arnold, “That’s why I chose to learn it.”

Besides playing in the school band, Arnold also plays in the Spokane Youth Symphony and the Junior Chamber Artists.

Arnold plans for a career in music. She would like to attend a conservatory in Florida after graduation.

During a Christmas concert, Arnold performed her original composition, “Christmas in Vienna,” with Kristen McMullin, Jennifer Crupper and Serena Primmer.

In other school district news

The Lakeland band will attend the Nelson Music Festival in British Columbia this spring. Band members are busy with fund-raisers to help pay for the trip.

The school board agreed to sponsor travel expenses of a bus and tuition to the festival. The students are earning money for lodging and food for the trip.

Students returning to Timberlake Junior/Senior High will notice a new face in the halls. Spirit Lake Police Officer David Giffin has been preparing for his new assignment as the School Resource Officer.

“I know the kids are wondering what’s going on,” he said. “I hope to help them make good choices through teaching classes on subjects dealing with alcoholism, tobacco and drug abuse.”

Giffin expects to be a part of prevention and teaching. “We deal with a lot of traffic complaints in the area around Timberlake,” he said, adding that he is designing a program that will help deal with the parking problem at the school.

The young people of the community are important to Giffin. He credits several youths with helping to solve a burglary at a local business. “You help me, and I’ll help you back,” he said.

A special grant was received by Spirit Lake Police to place an officer on campus at Timberlake. The Rathdrum Police Department also applied for a grant to sponsor an officer at Lakeland, but has not yet received acceptance of the grant.

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