Appleton students wins conducting competition

2017 Jan 10

Carthage College senior McKenna Rakestraw of Appleton won the 2017 Wisconsin Choral Directors Association (WCDA) Student Conducting Competition. The event is held annually in conjunction with the WCDA state convention.

McKenna was one of eight undergraduate competitors selected to compete at the state level. Each of the finalists conducted two pieces of music with a high school honor choir. The judging panel included Eric Barnum, the composer of one of the compulsory works to be conducted, as well as choral faculty from around the state of Wisconsin.

Each candidate was judged on both their conducting gestures and their oral communication in the rehearsal setting. In order to prepare for the competition, McKenna worked independently with her Carthage mentor, Prof. Eduardo Garcia-Novelli. She also rehearsed with a mock Carthage choir and with a rehearsal pianist to prepare for the competition.

McKenna is a music education major, and will student teach this spring.