Band evaluations for band members were held on Wednesday, March 13 at Monarch High School. The District Concert Music Performance Assessment is an evaluation that every school band in the district participates in and gets graded on. Various schools from Broward County went to perform including Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School.
From MSD, there were four groups being evaluated: concert band, symphonic winds, wind orchestra and string orchestra. The groups from MSD ended up getting all A’s after being scored, making them straight superiors.
Grading is based on how well students play, how well they were prepared and if students participate. Scores members can receive is based on a letter grade with an A being the highest.
The District Concert Music Performance Assessment is held every year, normally in March, to evaluate different bands on how they perform. Each band is evaluated on three pieces, as well as a sight reading.
Sight reading is a portion after the three pieces are performed where band members are given two songs that they have to sizzle to. Sizzling is when members make sizzling noises with only their mouth as the director leads them and members aren’t allowed to play their instrument.
The first song members must sizzle is three minutes long, and the other is five minutes long.
“I enjoy them a lot actually because you get to play and then also see all the judges hear how you play,” sophomore Liberian Emily Lemoine said. “If there’s time you get to hear other bands which is pretty cool.”
To prepare for the assessment, band members practice after school from 3:00-5:30 p.m. on the Wednesday leading up to the performance. MSD members of symphonic winds practiced their three songs: Overture for Winds, Mandalen Landscapes and La Capital. MSD members of the wind orchestra practiced playing Hand Across the Sea, Lux Perpetual and Stampede.
“We put a lot of time and effort into the preparation for this assessment,” sophomore Maya Ruzicka said. “We listen to audios, practice our rhythms and make sure our intonation is on point.”
Scoring for the evaluations were announced on the same day as the performance and the bands got sent their scores.
In previous years, MSD has gotten all A’s for their assessment making them once again straight superiors. In the future, band members will continue practicing and preparing for the assessment to hopefully continue the streak of getting a high score.
