Tuesday, April 6, 2010

Festival and State S&E Wrap-Up

It's spring break, and as I sit on my couch I realize it's time to do a festival wrap-up.

Four of the BSD bands attended District Festival on March 19-20, and all had successful experiences. The 7th grade band attended for comments only and were given helpful advice. The 8th graders improved on their ratings last year, working very hard to achieve a "I" rating in the sight-reading room and a "II" overall. What's most remarkable about their sight-reading score is the environment in which they played. When we got to the room, we didn't have all the right percussion equipment. Then the bells were upside down in their case and almost fell out all over the floor. We were given the wrong music to sight-read. Finally, the judge took a time out to ice the kicker and hecklers shouted "Noonan!" But the kids persevered and stayed focused!

The high schoolers had a mixed bag experience. The concert band got their first ever "I" rating in the sight-reading room, and a "II" rating overall. They have shown improvements each year, and hope to hunt down their first overall "I" next spring. The symphonic band did not match their overall "I" from last year, instead equaling the ratings of both concert band and the 8th grade band. It was a good learning experience for both me and the band, as it reminded us of the dangers of choosing a very difficult piece. It can be a great learning experience, but can sometimes be just beyond your grasp and make for a slightly tentative performance.

We had a great showing at State Solo and Ensemble festival on March 27. All high school soloists received a "I" rating, and ensembles did great! They are:

Nick Rifel (trumpet): qualified for MYAF with a score of 97
Shelby Chessman (trumpet): score of 91 in Proficiency I
Mark Jones (euphonium): score of 89 in Proficiency III
Megan Gilson (flute): score of 89 in Proficiency I
Matt Germaine (trombone): score of 92 in Proficiency I
Daniel Okun (tuba): score of 86 in Proficiency I
BHS Brass Quintet (Nick Rifel, Alissa Rowe, Chelsea Rowe, Matt Germaine, Mark Jones): I rating
Katie Murphy & Sarah Shaw (clarinet duet): II rating

Great job to all who participated.

5 comments:

john said...

fantastic article.i liked this blog.really cool.i m gonna bookmark it.

Juan Antonio Herrera Urbina said...

Congratulations Berkley High School Bands. I want to see you amazing play any time.

Unknown said...

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Subhash said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Neha Ahire said...

The Music is life. Informative post. Neha Ahire from - http://healthy-body-and-happy-mind.blogspot.com