Three Cleveland musicians placed at the state solo music festival at Mountainside High School April 29.

Senior Anna Suydam placed second playing the low clarinet, while fellow Cleveland musicians Henry Parker and Liam Friel placed fourth and fifth playing the trombone.

The students were directed by music teacher Gary Riler.

The low clarinet, also known as the bass clarinet, is a lower octave and much larger than the average clarinet, said Suydam, who felt some anxious moments waiting to play her part but also thoroughly enjoyed the experience at the state solo festival.

“My favorite part was definitely being there with my friends, because having them in the room while I was performing and seeing them afterwards watching their performances was really fun, and the whole experience of being at state was really cool,” said Suydam.

While she was performing, Suydam said she felt some nervousness and told herself, “Don’t mess up.” She focused a lot on breathing before performing her piece.

“(Music has) always been a really big part of my family and I think I started getting in to music at a very young age, starting with the recorder and then piano, and then I got to middle school and I really started to love the bass clarinet, and then for seven years I grew into a state champion person,” she said.