Grosse Pointe South students shine in
statewide Honors Composition concert

The Michigan Music Educators Association held their 6th annual Honors Composition Concert last weekend in Grand Rapids, including five Grosse Pointe South High School students.

Freshman Hannah Ayrault, junior Elyse Croce and seniors Chantal Chuba, Annie Slaughter and Harriet Steinke performed at the Amway Grand Plaza.

Ayrault played piano and sang her pop composition, "Happy," while accompanied by ukulele and banjo. Croce played piano to her own pop piece, "Day Break." South accompanist Richard Wolf, played Slaughter and Steinke's beautiful classical compositions on piano. Chuba had her prerecorded electronic music played in front of the crowd as well.

“My family was awed at the amazing amount of talent displayed by these young people,” said Diana Croce, Elyse's mother. “There were so many creative and sophisticated arrangements. It’s incredible to think that five of the kids were from South.”

The South students' works covered many different musical genres, from pop to classical to electronic. And all of the students were either involved in choir, orchestra, or participated in the South musical technology course taught by Ellen Bowen.

“We are thrilled to be meeting the National Standards of Composition as well as performance,” said Bowen. “It means a great deal, and it reinforces the fact that our Music Technology class is an excellent course students have achieved excellence in.” 

While hundreds of students across the state entered their work, only 17 were honored at the event, making South's contribution of five all the more impressive.

“We have a ton of talent,” said Bowen. “It’s the motivation to excellence that teachers and parents have in this community and that’s the difference at South.”

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