That special day happened on Feb. 25 of this year.
Selah, now a senior at Huron High School, won the 2024 Young Artist Competition for the opportunity to play with the A2SO as they performed for this year’s fourth graders.
Selah Dowell poses with former teachers Susan Wagner and David Middlin after the concert.
“I remember watching the winner of the competition that year play the Mendelssohn Violin Concerto,” Selah said. “One of my classmates said something along the lines of ‘she plays the violin like Selah!’ and Mr. Middlin responding with ‘that could be Selah in a few years,’ but at that time I never actually thought it could be me.”
Middlin, now the dean of middle school at South Arbor, knew the talent Selah possessed, and the ambition she has for her dreams.
“I was Selah's music teacher from kindergarten through eighth grade,” he said. “She was learning the violin even before she arrived on her first day of school. Her dedication to academics and music was very high.”
Selah Dowell talks with former teachers David Middlin and Susan Wagner after the concert.
Middlin noted Selah was top of her class academically when she graduated eighth grade, was top in her section in the band, and even performed with her violin at her graduation ceremony.
“When I heard the news (that she won the competition) it changed my entire week,” Middlin said. “When you hear about how successful your former students are in the next chapters of their lives, you see and feel how your part of the puzzle fits into the bigger plan of shaping future leaders with strong moral foundations.”
During her performance with the A2SO at Hill Auditorium on the campus of the University of Michigan, Selah performed Camille Saint-Saëns’ “Violin Concerto No. 3.”
Selah Dowell, 17, performs with the A2SO at Hill Auditorium in Ann Arbor.
“It was exciting to perform with them and show my abilities in front of a professional orchestra,” Selah said. “I surprisingly wasn’t as nervous as I usually am for solos, maybe because I’ve performed this concerto a few times already.”
Having Middlin and her fourth-grade teacher Susan Wagner in attendance for the performance made the day even more memorable, Selah said.
“It was very special because both teachers accompanied me on the piano when I performed at South Arbor and they have always been very supportive of me,” she said. “My fourth-grade brother, who is in Mrs. Wagner's class, was also at the concert, so it was really special. His classmates all started asking him to get my autograph for them, which was quite funny.”
Selah would like to major in business and music performance in college.
Congratulations on a wonderful achievement, Selah!
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About South Arbor Charter Academy
South Arbor Charter Academy is a tuition-free, public charter school in Ypsilanti, Michigan, serving students in Young 5s through eighth grade. It is part of the National Heritage Academies (NHA®) network, which includes more than 100 tuition-free, public charter schools serving more than 65,000 students in kindergarten through 12th grade across nine states. For more information, visit nhaschools.com.
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