Montini Catholic music students, freshmen Maryfaith Considine and Samantha Menapace were recently chosen to represent Montini Catholic High School at the Illinois Music Education Association District Choral Ensemble. The two friends were very excited about the news. The festival, which will take place on November 11th at Dundee Crown High School in Carpentersville, IL, is an annual event sponsored by the Illinois Music Education Association. (ILMEA, or the Illinois Music Education Association, is an organization widely known by musicians statewide. This program ranges for all high school aged musicians. From chorus singers to members of an orchestra, ILMEA accepts a variety of musicians who excel in their craft.)

According to Montini Music Director Donnie Glowinski, both Maryfaith and Samantha, who most recently performed in the Chamber Choir at Montini's Fall Concert, are very talented and dedicated vocalists. "As freshmen, this is a big deal.  Our district, #9, is one of the most competitive districts in the state. Not only that, but these two young ladies are freshmen. I knew we had some serious talent on our hands when they auditioned for Chamber Choir their 8th grade year. They have been such a wonderful addition to the music program and I am so excited to see them grow musically in the coming years. They are going to do some amazing things!"

"We first found out about ILMEA in early October when Mr. Glowinski introduced it to the class during a Chamber Choir rehearsal," said Maryfaith. "Mr. Glowinski explained that the Illinois Music Education Association is a very professional, challenging, and prestigious association that represents every level of music education in every discipline. As the youngest child of five, it appealed to my competitive nature and my interest was piqued. I love music and I love to compete, so I thought I had nothing to lose by trying out. And, so I did!"

"For the auditions, it was required of all musicians to record themselves singing 3 separate triads, 2 musical scales, and a specific amount of measures from 3 separate songs - all of which we had to sing a capella (no background recording) with only the starting pitch," Maryfaith explained. "There are different choirs that you can be accepted into for ILMEA and each choir is assigned different music. I had the honor of being accepted into the Senior Chorus - a choir of voices ranging from soprano to baritone (SATB). For our choir, we were assigned 4 songs: Daniel, Daniel, The Sun Never Says, Praise the Lord, and Twa Tanbou."



"I sent in my audition for ILMEA around the first week of October 2023," added Samantha. "I had to sing four performance-level challenging pieces of music. Around 2 weeks after I had sent in my submissions, I was accepted into the Senior Treble Chorus, meaning I will be singing pieces of music for voices in a higher-set range."

Even though they are freshman and have only been Broncos for a few months, both Maryfaith and Samantha have not wasted any time getting involved with Montini activities. Maryfaith is looking forward to participating in the spring musical in March. She is a member of Montini's Spanish and Lasallian Youth Clubs. She also lends her time to Student Government and athletically she is a member of the Girls Cross Country team (headed to State on November 4th). "I also plan on playing soccer in the spring!" 

 "Music has been the most crucial, impactful, and important part of my life for as long as I can remember," she said, adding that without a doubt her favorite activity is music performance. "I love the thrill and the excitement of it all. Sharing my love of music with others gives me great joy. I love spending time with my friends doing the thing I love most. I enjoy all kinds of performance, whether it’s performing in a musical for an entire audience or just simply playing a song on the piano for my parents."

In addition to her love of music, Samantha is a huge fan of dance. "I have been participating in tap classes for almost four years and I have also previously participated in ballet, jazz, and lyrical styles of dance." She is already pondering college and definitely plans to include music and dance in her future. "Some schools I have been thinking about include Juilliard and NYU, which are both home to prestigious music related programs."

"I hope to continue my music experience throughout the rest of my life, and especially in college," adds Maryfaith. "My oldest brother, Michael, is a graduate from Boston College. When he was a student there, he was the president of the a capella group called “The Bostonians”. I hope to have a similar experience in my college career. And the thing that I love the most about music is how timeless it is. It doesn't matter if I’m old and grey; I will always have the ability to experience and appreciate music. I am eternally grateful for that gift."

Both talented young ladies have praise for their Music teacher, Donnie Glowinski. "In my very short time here at Montini Catholic High School, Mr. Glowinski has played a crucial and positive role in both my musical and overall high school experience. He has opened me up to several opportunities, for all of which I am so grateful. Not only is he an extremely talented and quality educator, but he is also a friend and mentor. Without Mr. Glowinski, I have no idea where I’d be right now." Samantha agrees.  "Mr. Glowinski has been an incredible influence in regards to this opportunity!"

They are very grateful for the ILMEA experience. Samantha summed up their thoughts very well. "On behalf of both Maryfaith and I, we are both collectively so grateful to have been accepted into the Illinois Music Education Association. We are so grateful to have a surplus amount of support school wide, and we are looking forward to this incredible opportunity!"