Elizabeth Pulanco/ Winonan

Winona State hosted the Regionals Branch of the Minnesota Music Listening Contest on Friday, Jan. 23 in the Performing Arts Center on the main stage.

Several high school students from across the region performed and competed in the contest, including Cotter High School, Winona Senior High School and Pine Island High School, with each school having multiple teams to compete.

Over 120 teams across Minnesota were a part of the competition that day, with nine regions across the state. The two highest scoring teams in each region won a chance to attend the state championship held at Augsburg College in Minneapolis.

Each contest consisted of five testing rounds. Each round is worth 20 points and at the end of the contest, the highest score a team can get is 100. Students are played an excerpt of music and asked to identify the composer, the title and the period of time the music was written.

Between rounds, students would discuss their answers with their teammates and review the questions. The mood in the room was not tense, but it was definitely competitive. Coaches and parents looked on as moderator Barbara Hoppe announced round after round. Winona State Music Education students provided a helping hand during the contest as they passed around the answers sheets to the different teams. Despite a few computer glitches, the contest ran very smoothly.

When a music excerpt would play, the students would raise their pencils with excitement once they remembered the information they needed to know to answer the questions. Throughout the contest, they kept their ears open to identify a recognizable tune.

To prepare for the contest, students were given a study guide that comes with a CD with music recordings. To guarantee a successful performance in the contest, consistent studying was necessary.

While preparing for and participating in the contest, the students became immersed in classical music.

Pine Island student Ashley Westlake has enjoyed being immersed in classical music.

“It is interesting to learn the roots of where modern music has come from,” Westlake said as she was preparing for the contest. “It’s also good to realize that there is other music out there than just Beyoncé.”

Kira Ziegler, also a student from Pine Island, found another positive aspect of the contest.

“This is a really good way to have fun with friends,”  Ziegler said.

Whether the teams were having a good time with their friends or loving the music, the participation in this contest was a great experience for students.

At the end of the night, Winona Senior High School’s team as well as Pine Island’s team became the lucky groups that will be heading to Minneapolis on Feb. 6.