Nebraska’s annual district music contest inches closer as Fremont High School music students prepare for their upcoming performances in late April.
Fremont High School senior Colby Messerschmidt is performing in his first ever District Music Contest competition this year.
“This year is my first year going to District Music Contest, so what I know about it is only what I’ve heard,” Messerschmidt said. “It is an event where students in band from different schools come together for one day to perform solos, and small or large ensembles.”
Messerschmidt is not performing alone. He is also playing with one of his senior classmates.
“I’m going to be performing a saxophone duet with Yukina Higashi,” Messerschmidt said. “She will be playing a tenor saxophone and I will be playing a soprano saxophone. Both are B flat-based instruments so they work well together.”
Messerschmidt and Higashi have been preparing for the District Music Contest together for at least a month.
“The simplest answer to how we’ve been preparing is practice,” Messerschmidt said. “We’ve been practicing every Tuesday and Thursday for a half-hour.”
Messerschmidt was not originally planning to compete in this event until he received some encouragement from his classmate.
“Originally I may not have participated in DMC, but Yukina persuaded me to perform a duet with her, so I decided to participate,” Messerschmidt said.
District Music Contest is not held in Fremont, and while Messerschmidt will be performing outside of his natural element, he doesn’t seem to be intimidated by the change in location.
“DMC is held in Ralston, which isn’t a big change from where the band usually performs,” Messerschmidt said. “The band usually performs in either Omaha or Lincoln, with the exception of Kearney.”
In fact, Messerschmidt is actually thrilled to perform beyond the walls of Fremont.
“I’m most excited to perform the duet I am playing,” Messerschmidt said. “But I’m also excited to go out of town and perform.”
Messerschmidt has one straightforward goal in mind for the upcoming District Music Contest.
“The only goal I have is to play the song right, and the best I can,” Messerschmidt said.
