Every year, the best high school guitar players in Virginia gather in an ensemble to show off their collective talent on the biggest stage for high school guitar in the state at the Virginia Music Education Conference. This year, the performance was held in Norfolk, Virginia, with Rock Ridge sending junior Parth Jaiswal to perform. “The event went really well this year, and I really enjoyed the music that the composer picked out for us to play,” Jaiswal said.

The selection process for who performs in the ensemble is through recorded video auditions. Guitarists go to a set location specific to the region they are performing for and play for judges. The best forty of these players are selected to play in the All-Virginia Guitar Ensemble. There are three sections that judges analyze performance in: sight reading, technique, and prepared pieces. Sight reading is where an unseen piece is given and a guitarist is meant to play it to the best of their ability. Technique is where a guitarist is tested in their technical knowledge and ability of their instrument, and a prepared piece is where a performer has time to master a piece, which is then performed for the judges.

Jaiswal played for both the Loudoun Youth Guitar and the All Virginia ensembles. “This is Parth’s third year in both ensembles,” Dr. Natasha Klanic Loncar,  the advanced and artist guitar teacher for Rock Ridge, said. “Hopefully, he will get in for a fourth.” Dr. Klasnic-Loncar worked closely with Jaiswal to get him to the level he is at. “Every year, the auditions get harder because there are more people interested in performing,” Dr. Klanic- Loncar said.

In preparation for the performances, Jaiswal practiced sight reading. To prepare, he looked for patterns in the music and mastered the most common chords used in popular pieces. This coincides with technique practice, where he mastered his hand placement and strum patterns. “Playing any instrument requires dedication and commitment, and having support from my family, friends, and teachers pushes me to keep getting better,” Jaiswal said. 

In addition to practicing his solo skills, he had many rehearsals with both ensembles. “For the structure, we would wake up and basically have rehearsal until our next meal. Although it was tiring at times, it was really fun to play in an ensemble with new people,” Jaiswal said. 

But to Jaiswal, recognition goes beyond just titles and ability. “Being recognized for guitar means having my skill and passion acknowledged by others,” he said. “It’s not just about accolades, but about connecting with other people, whether it be a musician or an audience member.”