Both Lake Orion Scripps Middle School Bands earned a First Division rating at the Michigan School Band and Orchestra Association District IV Band Festival on March 5.
Both bands will receive a plaque for the school and individual blue medals for every festival participant.
Students were graded by three concert judges on their tone quality, intonation, technique, rhythm and interpretation. These grades were averaged together for the overall concert rating.
The adjudicators also took into account each band’s stage deportment, discipline, appearance, music selection and general spirit.
After the concert portion, the bands went into sightreading, where they had seven minutes to learn more pieces and then play them at sight. The bands also received a rating for their efforts in that process.
According to band teacher Eric Crimmins, the judges commented on the mature sounds both bands made, as well as their excellent stage presence and discipline.
The Scripps Concert Winds, in Class D, earned a First Division rating from all four judges.
One concert judge and the sightreading judge gave them straight A’s.
This is the first time the Scripps Concert Band has achieved this result.
They will represent the Scripps band program on April 6 at the Scripps Festival. Band members? final performance will be June 7 at their Spring Concert.
In Class C, Scripps Cadet Band, for the eighth year in a row, earned an overall First Division rating. The sightreading judge gave them straight A’s, as did one concert judge.
The Cadet Bank performed Class A level music which was more advanced than was required by the festival guidelines for Class C.
Band members will be attending State Festival on April 29-30, possibly at Lake Orion High School.
Their final performance of the year will be the Spring Concert on June 7.
Crimmins is in his 11th year with the LO School District.