Members of the MHS Rhythm ‘N Harmony pose for a group photo at their school campus
MARIANAS High School’s Rhythm ‘N Harmony tied with Guam duet Stringstars for first place in the grand finale of the 2025 Tumon Bay Music Festival.
Rhythm ‘N Harmony also received gold ratings for their performances in the Solo and Small Ensemble division as well as the Choir and Handbell division.
Rhythm ‘N Harmony likewise received a “command performance” honor and was invited to perform, along with the other top performers in the festival, during the finale concert on March 8, 2025, at the Micronesian Mall.
In addition, members of Rhythm ‘N Harmony were invited to perform as part of a Concordia mass choir, comprised of representatives from the other performing acts in the festival.
The annual festival, hosted by the Guam Philharmonic Foundation, was held at Guam Plaza Resort, Ypao Beach Park, the Hyatt Regency Guam, and the Micronesian Mall from Feb. 26 to March 8.
It brought together hundreds of solo musicians, glee clubs, concert bands from Guam and the CNMI.
Festival organizers said Rhythm ‘N Harmony and Stringstars “captured the heart of the crowd with a mix of musicality and technique.”
According to Aly Santos, an MHS junior student and Rhythm ‘N Harmony club vice president, their group was rated gold in the festival for their set list that comprised “Façade” from the musical “Jekyll and Hyde”; “Cool Down” by Kolohe Kai; the classical piece “Dona Nobis Pacem”; “Imagine” by John Lennon; and “Bad Romance” by Lady Gaga.
Santos called “Façade” their “showpiece,” which showcased their “triple threat” of singing, dancing, and acting.
“Cool Down” was the “fun” crowd pleaser. “Dona Nobis Pacem” demonstrated their range and intensity. And “everyone loves Lady Gaga,” Santos said, which is why “Bad Romance” was included. As for Lennon’s “Imagine,” Santos called their performance “magical.”
“It was the piece where everyone was feeling the song,” she said.
Their Solo and Small Ensemble set featured “Ave Verum Corpus” by William Byrd and “Run to You” by Pentatonix.
“Usually there’s a classical piece and an emotional piece to connect to the audience,” Santos said. “ ‘Run to You’ was one of the best choices to connect.”
Aside from their performance at the main festival, Rhythm ‘N Harmony also performed at six schools in Guam.
Alyana Rotap, a sophomore at MHS and president of Rhythm ‘N Harmony, said they sent 13 representatives to the festival. In the buildup to the event, they spent two to three months preparing, practicing two to three hours, three times a week. As the competition date neared, they practiced five consecutive days, Rotap said
“Our process was we learn a song, and make sure it’s not messy,” she said. “When a whole group sings, not everyone is going to be perfect, so you just want to tweak here and there. And then we add some personality to the song.”
Rhythm ‘N Harmony comprises one freshman, with the rest being sophomores, juniors, and seniors.
Santos said that although she has competed in the Tumon Bay Music Festival every year since her freshman year, she still gets nervous due to how important it is to their group.
“I was really nervous,” she said. “Most of the time, I tried to show that we got this, but I was also terrified. I could see the other members were terrified, too. Guam is such a big deal for us, and we really want to make an impact there and do our best.”
But getting on stage helped Santos and the other group members bring the best out of themselves.
“When you’re onstage, you snap into a character,” Santos said. “You are that performer, and you really have that mindset stuck. You want to make everyone proud. You want to perform, and it’s really a wonderful feeling.”
She said that their victory in Guam came as a relief.
“The day we found out, my heart was pounding…when we won it was just amazing,” she said.
Rhythm ‘N Harmony members are also thankful to their adviser Harold Easton, acting school principal Melanie Rdiall, and their chaperones.
