DYB, SAT and Festival

Jonathan was away at camp Friday evening and Saturday for DYB. This was their last rehearsal prior to Youth Councils in two weeks. Normally when he goes to camp in the winter we have him take the keys for the RV so that he can turn the engine over for five or so minutes. Friday morning he took the wrong set of keys on the lanyard…he took Evie’s office keys in error. We gave him a ribbing about not noticing the difference.

For Josh this weekend was SAT and Concert Band Festival. Saturday morning he spent four hours taking the SAT. He returned home just after 1:00 and was off along with Evie to the school around 3:30. As Josh plays clarinet in Concert II he was at the Festival Friday night as well as late Saturday afternoon with the Symphonic Band. Evie spent Friday and Saturday on concert band chaperone duty.

Starting Friday afternoon twenty-four or so concert bands throughout the area have been going through an adjudication process that gives each band a score with comments. The grades go from I (superior) to IV (poor). Before three adjudicators (one of them this year is the Executive Director of Winnipeg Symphony) each band normally performs three items, one of which must be a march. Oakton’s Symphonic Band performed only two items since one very lengthy demanding piece with four movements counted as two items.

After the band performs their prepared items in the concert hall, the band goes to the band room where they are given a sight reading item to review in five minutes before performing it before a fourth adjudicator. All three Oakton Bands received a superior rating (Concert II did get one II from a judge but I from the other three…Concert I and Symphonic got straight Is).

To be a State Honor Band a school must receive a superior grade at the State’s Marching Band Competition and a superior grade at Festivals. After one year’s absence Oakton has returned to the State’s Honor Band list.