The Nome-Beltz Middle High School music room is built for sound with high ceilings and an open layout. Throughout the day, about 140 students grade 6 through 12 cycle through, filling the space with bass and percussion.
The students perform throughout the year at pep rallies, ceremonies, and festivals. This week, two students from Nome are heading to the state competition in Anchorage after earning top scores at a regional band concert.
Last month, 13 Nome-Beltz students traveled to the regional band concert in Dillingham, where they performed as a full ensemble, in small groups and in solo events. Six students auditioned for the state competition.
“So the state qualification is either doing a solo with a piano or a small group ensemble performing for a judge,” Richard Sargent, the music teacher at Nome-Beltz said. “Then they'll give you a rating, one through five, one being the top and state level qualifying, and five being not as prepared as you could be. All of our students, we had two that received a one, and the remaining others all received twos.”
Melissa Noyakuk and Clary Ruud qualified for the Alaska State Solo and Ensemble Festival, each earning the top score.
Noyakuk qualified with a clarinet solo called "Chrysalis." Ruud earned a top score with the musical theater song "Nothing Stops Another Day" from the musical adaptation of the 1990 romance fantasy film "Ghost".
“Regions was really fun,” Ruud said. “We performed to our adjudicator on Thursday, and then Friday morning we found out about us making it to state, and it was really exciting.”
Sargent said Noyakuk and Ruud have been preparing since the fall. This is Sargent's second year teaching at Nome-Beltz.
"This year I was a little more proactive with getting students their music," Sargent said. "Clary and Melissa had their solos chosen since about October, so they had a lot of time to really dig deep and go for it."
The program itself is growing fast, Sargent said. So fast that this spring, the program held an instrument drive to keep up with demand.
“At the beginning of this year, I had 13 working instruments that I needed to get 30 sixth graders to be able to play,” Sargent said. “So with a lot of the instrumental donations, we were able to, like, really make that happen. That's been the really big push this year.”
Donations from the community, as well as friends, family and Sargent's former students from the Lower 48, helped close the gap. Sargent also credits partners who are repairing damaged instruments out of state. The program is still taking donations, he said.
Sargent said consistency has been key in the program's progress, along with opportunities like the regional concert that motivate students.
“The number one thing is just getting kids to enjoy themselves, and not so much as being an elite performer yet,” Sargent said. “We want them to play well, but it's hard to play well when you're not enjoying what you're doing. And then once you see what's capable and see what that demand requires of you, then the challenges become fun.”
Ruud said this will be her first time performing with a piano accompaniment instead of a backing track, which adds a layer of complexity.
Noyakuk said she feels ready for the state competition.
"I'm excited. I'm not really nervous," Noyakuk said. "It's really easy. Kind of like a warm-up, in my opinion."
Ruud and Noyakuk leave for Anchorage on Thursday, and the state festival runs Friday and Saturday. Each plans to perform the same solo that earned them the top mark at regionals.
