In the world of sports, March is all about playoffs, championships and madness. To a high school musician, March is contest season.

Litchfield High School band and choir students recently competed in the Minnesota State High School League Region 5A solo/ensemble contests. While the contests culminate months of preparation, they also spark a flurry of nerves.

“You’re by yourself and the spotlight is on you. It’s easier for them to pick on you because they know who is making the mistake,” said junior Kayla Chellin.

This spring, Litchfield musicians couldn’t have made many mistakes because they walked away from contests with some impressive scores.

At the vocal contest March 3 in Paynesville, Litchfield performers earned 19 superior ratings — the highest possible. Four students — Chellin, Nikki Northquest, Alicia Findley and Aaron Carlson — also received “Best in Site” awards for earning the top scores in their performance site; there were six sites total.

“This is an achievement,” choral director Joel Green said. “Not only does it recognize the fact that they are outstanding singers, but more importantly it is a sign of their musical maturity and ability to perform and make music that comes alive to the audience.”

LHS instrumentalists also had strong showings March 10 at the instrumental solo/ensemble contest in Eden Valley. Of the school’s 20 events, 12 received superior ratings.

Read about the preparation it takes for contests, as well as how the high school choirs and bands are prepping for large-group contest April 1 in the March 27 Independent Review.