Thanks to Rotary Club scholarships,
seven Faribault High School students spent part of their summers growing as vocalists and musicians, whether that meant attending camps or enrolling in vocal lessons.
The Faribault Rotary Club offers scholarships to students involved in music electives each spring, using the proceeds collected from the Rotary scholarship concert held at FHS the fall prior. This year’s 54th annual concert is 7 p.m. Monday, Oct. 28 in the FHS auditorium.
Kayla Kenow, a junior euphonium player in the FHS band, used her $400 scholarship to help pay for the Minnesota All-State camp over the summer. Kenow was the only student in the FHS band to receive the All-State honor last school year as well as the Rotary Club scholarship.
“I definitely learned how to be a better musician [at All-State camp],” said Kenow. “I made a lot of good friends I still have today.”
Joe Timmer, band director at FHS, said it always takes a couple weeks to decide who to nominate for the honor because so many students deserve the recognition. In most cases, all three FHS directors select students who already received All-State honors so they can use the scholarship money to attend the All-State camps offered over the summer.
Two violinists in the FHS Philharmonic Orchestra, Maddie Klecker and Avery Rein, received $200 Rotary Scholarships each.
Klecker began playing the violin 11 years ago and was named a Minnesota All-State alternate for 2018-19.
“When I was younger, I just liked [the violin] for the sound, but now I realize it’s a lot more than that,” said Klecker. “It can be used for a lot of different things — I play at church and at weddings. It’s nice to see what joy an instrument can bring.”
Said Michael Sloane, director of the FHS Philharmonic Orchestra: “Maddie Klecker is very diligent on making sure things are done right, and she’s not afraid to speak up when things aren’t right.”
While most Rotary scholarship winners had previously earned All-State honors, violinist Avery Rein is the exception. She used her scholarship to attend an orchestra camp in Northfield, which challenged each instrumentalist according to their skill level. At the end of the camp, the orchestra performed in a concert.
When Sloane began teaching orchestra at Faribault Middle School, he said Rein was one of his first students. He’s pleased to see her continue playing violin with the FHS Philharmonic Orchestra and lead her peers in the schools’ orchestra council.
“Avery is a very bright girl who knows what she wants,” said Sloane. “She’s a very artistic person … a very good violinist.”
Four FHS choir students each received $200 Rotary scholarships as well — senior alto Nya Anter, senior soprano Abby Engbrecht, junior bass Tanner Longshore and junior soprano Lizzie Cooper. Anter, Engbrecht and Longshore, all Minnesota All-State students named in May, used their scholarships to attend the weeklong All-State choir camp at St. Olaf College. Their All-State group reunites in February, 2020 at the Orchestra Hall in Minneapolis for its All-State concert.
“It’s been really good,” said Longshore of his choir experience. “Obviously there are ups and downs, but it’s helping me express myself more.”
Added Anter, who has taken choir for 11 years with elementary school included: “I’ve always loved singing and performing.”
Cooper, an All-State alternate, took voice lessons with her scholarship money. She’s been in choir since fourth grade.
“It’s made me have more of a reason to be in school,” said Cooper. “It’s given me a passion I can enjoy.”
Published with permission from the Faribault Daily News