LUHS’ Ernst sings with state honors concert for third straight year

Lakeland Union High School (LUHS) senior Ada Ernst performed at the Overture Center in Madison with the state honors choir on Oct. 24.

This was the third time in a row Ernst was recognized statewide for her singing and LUHS music teacher Briannah Wanca indicated that’s a rare feat.

“It’s a pretty big deal that Ada got in three years in a row,” she said. “That hasn’t been done here in as far as we have seen in awhile, like the last 20 years, and it’s a very big accomplishment for her and a testament to her talent as a musician.”

Wanca said Ernst works “extremely hard” during rehearsals of the school’s choir.

Ernst, she said, also attended a summer camp as part of this experience, “where she was able to learn this music and to get to know the people in her section, the people in the choir.”

“So most of the rehearsals went on at that summer camp and then they really only had one night and a day of rehearsals before the performance,” Wanca said.

While it was “very quickly put together,” Wanca said the state honors performance was still very high in quality. 

“(Ada is) a very talented musician, but she definitely puts in the work to get to where she needs to be,” the teacher said. “This is my first year and, unfortunately, only year that I have the opportunity to work with Ada. But she is a leader in our program and her getting this experience through the WSMA (Wisconsin School Music Association) honors choir allows her to bring back more to our program.”

Wanca attended the concert and said the music performed was “college-level and it was done extremely well.”

“Any student should be proud to have that opportunity, but to have it three years in a row, especially, is a really amazing thing that she has accomplished,” the teacher said.

Auditioning and, if chosen, participating in the state honors performance isn’t required, Wanca said. She explained that teachers will nominate students “that we feel are ready to be able to audition for this opportunity and we help prepare them for the auditions.”

Nominations for auditions have just opened up for next year’s state honors concert, Wanca said.

“I just want to reiterate that (the performance) was incredible and it was college-level repertoire, which is very impressive for any highschooler to sing, but it was done extremely well even being college-level repertoire.”

Lakeland area middle schooler performs as well

Another impressive achievement came from Arbor Vitae-Woodruff (AV-W) eighth-grader Lauren Thielman, who plays french horn. 

AV-W music teacher Maya Woods said Thielman was likely the first-ever middle schooler from the Lakeland area to perform as part of the “state honors middle-level band,” which consists of middle school students.

She said she encouraged Thielman to audition last spring in Wausau, eventually being one of eight french horn players in the state to make the cut. 

This is Woods ninth year teaching music for both AV-W and Minocqua Hazelhurst Lake Tomahawk school districts. And Thielman, she indicated, is one of top students she’s had the opportunity to teach.

“At an eighth-grade level, she is an accelerated musician,” Woods said.

The performance, she said, as well, was “wonderful.”

“Not only to see her on the stage performing alongside fellow musicians from all around the state, but hearing the quality of music that was being produced by these (middle school students) was just an incredible experience,” Woods said. “And then to see who she was able to work with … to see the staff members from around the state that she was working … with was really pretty cool too.”

Woods said she hopes the experience for Thielman will continue to “open up the doors to things she can participate in for her future.”

“Seeking out experiences like this and getting out of the Northwoods will really open the musical doors,” she said. “So, music can take you places.”

Students not able to make it

Two other local students were invited to participate in the WSMA state honors concerts as well. LUHS student Landry Lenz and North Lakeland student Addison Hagen weren’t able to participate, though, due to scheduling conflicts.

Trevor Greene may be reached via email at [email protected].