Galena Schools became the center of musical talent on March 14, 2025, as it hosted the annual NUIC Music Festival. The event welcomed over 150 student musicians from various schools across the region, bringing together incredible performers for a full day of rehearsals, food, and an evening concert to showcase their hard work.
The festival featured both band and choir students, who arrived early at 9 a.m. to prepare themselves for the long practice sessions. Throughout the day, students rehearsed under the guidance of amazing directors, dissecting each one of the pieces to prepare for their performance. “I thought NUIC was a positive experience overall!” said Gracie DuHack, ’25, “It was amazing having students come here and participate in the largest choir I have ever seen at Galena. It was also a great learning opportunity to work with such an experienced director and new peers. I had a lot of fun at NUIC and encouraged others to participate if they are given the chance.”
After a long day of hard work and preparation, the festival ended in a joint performance at 7:00 p.m . Family, friends, and community members came to the gym, ready to see the results of all the hard work. The choir performed their pieces first, starting off strong with a selection from Mozart’s Coronation Mass, “Gloria”. The Choir finished their section with an audience singing a long piece, “Lead with Love” by Melanie DeMore.
The band played next, performing three pieces. The last piece that was played was a collaborative performance between the band and choir, performing “From Sea to Shining Sea”.
“I love NUIC. It’s always a great time to play with good musicians from our area and connect,” said Helena Townsend-Grove ‘25. “Every conductor we have had for the NUIC honor band has been amazing and taught me something new that I use for music every day. My favorite memory was when David Resnick asked me to find the pitch of the school bell. This year’s concert went amazing, we were able to play challenging music and honor people in the process. The piece that stuck out most to me was American Elegy which was a piece about the shooting at Columbine High School. It was an amazing piece that honored the ones who we lost and the ones who survived. As my music career continues, I will always remember my NUIC experiences.”
The NUIC Music Festival not only showcased musical talents but also created a sense of friendship and teamwork amongst the other school’s students. As the final piece ended and applause rang out, all could tell that the experience left them with a lot of positive memories. With another successful festival over, students and directors are already looking forward to next year’s festival.
