Anjali Gupta ’18 Takes On the PMEAs

This article is about a high schooler who competed in a music competition called the PMEAs, which stands for the Pennsylvania Music Educators Association. The interview is below.

Can you please tell me your name?

My name is Anjali Gupta and I’m in 11th grade.

What instrument do you play?

I played oboe for four maybe five years now.

I heard you were competing in a competition called the PMEAs.  

Yeah, it’s really competitive and basically all schools are divided up into districts. We are is in District 11 so I compete against twenty or so other oboists in our district. Some of them going to Lower Merion High School and there are a couple more. They have blind auditions to determine the best players.

What is a blind audition?

The judges can’t see you and you can’t talk so they can’t recognize you.

How did you do?

I did really well actually. I got second chair in band and district orchestra.

Were you scared?

Oh yes, I was very nervous. I had a really bad problem before, because with the changing weather the oboe gets particularly fussy. I played my scales a little bit and I couldn’t play any high notes but I got it to work.

Do they accept other instruments?

Any instruments are possible. Trombones, clarinets, cellos, violins, viola, etc.

Can middle schoolers do it?

No they can’t but it is never to early to start practicing.

Thank you for this great interview and good luck going further.

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