Music vs. Athletics

A look from both sides Fine arts takes fine skills

The perceived lack of respect between music and athletics has been a topic of discussion for years. Both athletes and musicians… Having participated in both activities at the high school level, I hope I can provide a kind of middle ground for this debate.

First and foremost, there are obvious differences between the two. Sports are by far more physically demanding than music. Sure, my arm would get tired every now and then playing through some difficult piece for orchestra, but it cannot be compared to the dedication that I and so many other high school athletes have in regards to our physical practices and the weightroom.

While sports may be physically demanding, music requires a brain finely tuned to the sound of music. This is where the mental aspect of music comes in; it’s not just about reading notes and playing them in tune. Music is about feeling the sound you’re producing. When it all comes together, it’s really an indescribable feeling.

For anyone who’s played football, I’d liken a good music performance to the feeling of running a perfect route and scoring a touchdown. The years of practice all come together in an instant: That feeling of flipping your defender’s hips, the confidence that you have him beat, the catch, and the score all come together in the celebration with your teammates. That feeling only lasts for a few seconds in football, but can last for hours in music. The culmination of years of practice, all coming to a crescendo in a live performance where you are 100 percent in tune with your instrument and the other performers around you is something else.

So why am I rambling on about these feelings of success and accomplishment? Well, I want these two sides to develop a larger respect for each other. Despite the common physical differences between athletes and musicians, we’re more alike than we realize. We both dedicate ourselves to something we love, and we each share in moments of triumph that we’ll remember for the rest of our lives. by Kerrigan Edwards, staff writer

For some students, music is a valuable aspect of their lives, and large amounts of time are devoted to that activity. The years spent playing add up, and as the players improve, the hard work shows greatly in not only concerts, but also everyday practice.

Chloe Clark is a sophomore who plays the viola in Chamber Orchestra. Clark plays her instrument purely for enjoyment, but expands her learning by not only participating in the top orchestra but also involving herself in youth orchestra and private lessons. The viola player has been playing her instrument for about six years, and she said she hopes to continue playing.

For those who continue to participate in musical groups throughout high school, scholarships are always an option.

“I think that it opens up a lot of opportunities for thinking about college because you can go to college on a scholarship,” Clark said. While she does not plan on majoring in music, Clark is open to the idea of playing casually after high school graduation-.

“I feel like music makes my brain think in a different way,” Clark said. “They say people who do music are smarter, so I think that it’s something that people should consider.”

Sophomore Ian White is also dedicated to his string instrument and the CMR orchestra program. “I feel a lot of pressure to do well, but it is a lot of fun. It’s really satisfying to finish a piece,” White said. White has not yet played his violin outside of Concert Orchestra, but he said he hopes to either take private lessons or join the youth orchestra in the future.

While involving himself in other activities such as golf, speech and debate, and track, White still makes sure that he has time for music, fitting in around 11 hours of playing a week.

It’s just a lot of hard work that you have to put in,” White said. “I appreciate the effort that we all try to add. It just makes things so much better in the end.” by Holly Spragg, online editor

High schools all over the country have many activities that provide their students with opportunities, and for many, one dominates the school: athletics. Two seniors at CMR have had their fair share of experience in sports.

“I started when I was four with the little soccer and basketball things you do,” David Geisen, football, swimming, and track and field athlete. His fellow teammate, Griffin Held, a member of the football, basketball, and track and field team, stated he started when he was five years old and in kindergarten.

They both spoke about teams making bonds between players and how they bring out friendships outside of the sport.

“I love how it keeps you in shape and brings everyone together to form something greater than themselves,” Geisen said considering what he appreciates about the experience from high school athletics.

Held and Geisen both spoke about the memories they made through their four years of high school but a couple stood out.

“[Held] carried about 15 dudes like, 20 yards. That was pretty fun to see [...] Griffin was a stud,” Geisen said about a memory from his freshman year. Held mentioned his favorite memory occured later on in his high school than his friend’s did.

“My favorite memory was my junior year when Cole Rearden, he was a senior, he said the F-bomb really loud and he got a flagged called on him, and Hartman stormed the field and got in his face [...] that was probably the funniest thing,” Held said.

Along with memories, the game inspires emotions and specific headspaces.

“A lot of motivation, intensity, adrenaline rush,” Held said. Contradictory to his friend, Geisen said that he tries to remain calm to keep a clear mindset and a distraction-free mindset.

Both student athletes mentioned what role their coaches play in their experience.Geisen spoke about having a teacher that doubles as a coach can build a stronger connection and help navigate your way a little easier.

Like any extracurricular activity, high school athletics provides skills and experiences you wouldn’t get in a regular classroom setting.

“Just having a competitive mindset - just working hard - not only in sports but in school and any other activities you have going on,” Held said, considering the differences sports made on his outlook.

With all the talk of school sports, activities, and spirit, Geisen had one thing left to say. “Go Rustlers!” Two Sides: Divided only by The Commons by David Mitchell, staff writer Athletes reminisce on high school experiences

Photo courtesy of Minot High School. Photo by Nancy Beston.

Picture Speech and debate starts the season strong by Raef Hamlin, staff writer

CMR speech and debate starts the season with multiple students placing in the top three.

Sophomores Brady Kelly and Hunter Hatfield were public forum partners who earned second place in the Oct. 24 tournament. It is their first year in speech and debate.

Aside from the two Rustlers, other students who came home successful are sophomores Riley Hovland and Zander DeRosa. The duo placed eighth for public forum in the tournament held in Belgrade on Dec. 6-7. The team placed fourth overall despite being a very young team.

Two-year debater sophomore Anthony Bowe shared how he felt after every win.

“[It] felt good to see all the hard work pay off,” he said. “The harder you work, the better you get.”

For the same tournament, freshman Gracie Galvez earned fourth place in public forum with freshman Kenzi Brown; both of whom are in their first year of speech and debate.

“They push you to do good and stay on top,” Galvez said.

Speech and debate participants are encouraging other students to join.

“We need more people,” DeRosa said. Sophomore Alex Davidson adds, “it improves your public speaking. It’s fun to emotionally connect with people.”

Hovland believes it looks good on applications and “makes you a more intelligent person.”

English teacher Steve Hurin, who has been the head coach at CMR for three years, said that next year he hopes to have 30 to 40 kids based on their recent growth.

Speech and Debate looks forward to another tournament later this week on Dec. 20-21. The CMR speech and debate team competed in Missoula on Nov. 15-16. They have had a successful season and encourage more students to join the team.