HS Strings received platinum for the 10th consecutive year after performing at the KAIAC Large Group Fall Festival, held at SFS, on Oct. 31. Having started participating in this festival from the 2015-’16, the ensemble was consistently awarded with platinum awards, with this year being no exception. Students and teachers involved in the festival gained new insights regarding different techniques they can consider to further enhance musical skills.

The KAIAC Large Group Fall Festival is an annual event where music ensembles from international schools all over Korea gather to perform and receive feedback from judges. The group performed two pieces, “Lyric Metal” and “Visions of the Sky,” which they had begun practicing at the beginning of the year.

After months of practicing, the group went to SFS to perform to a panel of classically trained musicians who evaluate each piece the ensembles perform. They then grade the ensemble either silver, gold, or platinum, with platinum being the highest. SIS’s HS Strings ensemble demonstrated rigorous practice and skill and were presented with their tenth platinum award.

“I think we did really well considering the fact that the acoustics of SFS’s stage is different from ours, as their auditorium is considerably bigger than ours,” Ava Park (11), HS Strings concertmaster, said. “I think we learn from this experience for our concert, as we can focus more on dynamics and really [listen] to each other while playing.” 

Soon after, the ensemble returned to the warm-up room for a musical clinic, a short lesson teaching ensemble groups how to further enhance their performance. The clinic was hosted by a special conductor from SFS, who gave suggestions on the style, dynamics, tone, and overall musicality of the performance. The SIS HS Strings ensemble was especially lectured on how to differentiate between simply playing the music and turning it into music.

“I think the clinic was very helpful, as the guest conductor mentioned many things I also considered while conducting this piece,” Julia Kim, HS strings teacher, said. “I think that hearing detailed feedback from other perspectives can help solidify our performance for the future.”

The experience facilitated numerous musical exchanges between student musicians and teachers. Everyone involved came out of the festival with new insights on how to progress into better musicians and how to grow as an ensemble when playing alongside peers.