Student musicians from around eastern Massachusetts came together for the Eastern District Junior Festival, a weekend of performances highlighting exceptional talent in grades 7–9. Among them was Beaver student Analise Gottschalk ’29, second chair in the bass section.
Qualifying for the festival involved an intensive audition that challenged Analise to focus on skills such as tone, intonation, and musicianship. “In preparing for my audition, I was told about the piece I had to play and the scales I would be required to memorize,” she recalls. “It was decently stressful since a large amount of students audition.”
Gonzalo Hidalgo, Director of Orchestral Studies at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, served as the conductor of the festival. As an alum of of El Sistema—a major influence on Beaver’s instrumental program and the foundation of the Paper Instrument Project—Gonzalo’s approach served as a continuation of Analise’s studies at Beaver.
Beaver has helped me learn how to play the cello (which I started out with) and eventually the double bass. If I didn’t go to Beaver, I probably wouldn’t be [attending Junior Districts].
Analise Gottschalk '29
Participating in the festival allowed Analise to connect with student musicians from across the region, learn challenging new material, and perform in an entirely new context. When reflecting upon the experience, Analise shares gratitude for her community of support. “I’m extremely thankful to all my music teachers and my private lesson teacher, who got me to this point and pushed me to actually audition,” she says. “And of course my cat who listened throughout many failed attempts of practicing.”