High schoolers love music. Anywhere in Gloucester High School, a student can be seen with an earbud in, listening to anything from pop, rock, movie soundtracks, and of course, country. Music is an essential part of the high school experience. However, there is a group of students at GHS devoted to not only listening to music but making it. This is a difficult feat for professionals, let alone high schoolers. Every other day, these students attend band class in order to make our school and the world a brighter place through music.
On March 20 and 21, respectively, the Gloucester Wind Ensemble and Symphonic Band traveled to Lafayette HS in order to perform in front of a panel of three judges. This is an annual event known as “assessment” and can be considered an SOL or final exam for high school bands. For assessment, bands play a march and two other songs with the hope of performing well enough to earn superior ratings. On a rating scale of one to five, overall superior ratings equals all ones.
The Wind Ensemble’s pieces were titled “March of the Patriots,” “I Am,” and “Wild Dance.” They performed exceptionally well and returned home triumphant. They received all superior ratings and won the title of “Virginia Honor Band,” an honor GHS has only received eight times before. In order to receive this award, both the Marching Dukes and the Wind Ensemble had to earn superiors at assessment. The Symphonic Band attended the assessment the next day, performing “Winchester March,” “Arikara,” and “Shenandoah Triptych,” and were also victorious in securing superior ratings.
An anonymous member had this to say about their performance, “I’m a member of the Symphonic band, and I play the flute. I think that assessment went really well; we have a great band here. I’m excited that we received all superiors and look forward to what comes next. The hardest part about being in band, I think, is when I mess up and I think that everyone will judge me or that I spoiled our score for everyone.”
The next event for the band is the Jazz Band assessment, Tuesday, April 30. On May 8-11, the GHS band is providing a pit orchestra for the high school production of The Little Mermaid musical. Lastly, on May 23, the band performs their Spring Concert at 7 PM. Everyone is invited to attend and support these high schoolers who devote their precious time to making music for others.
