By Nancy Azzam

On March 18 our Granada Hills Charter (GHC) Concert and Chamber orchestras received unanimous superior ratings in a festival hosted by the Southern California School Band and Orchestra association (SCSBOA) at Temple City High School. Alongside GHC were ensembles from Temple City, Oak Avenue, and El Monte. 

The GHC Concert Orchestra performed selections including “Waltz” from “The Sleeping Beauty” by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky, “Adoration” by Florence Price, and “Warrior Legacy” by Soon Hee Newbold.

The GHC Chamber Orchestra performed selections including “Themes” from “The Moldau” by Bedrich Smetana, and two movements from “The Holberg Suite” by Edvard Grieg.

Before they performed, both groups were given the time to warm-up with one of the judges staying behind after the performance to provide a clinic. Students were able to work with the judge on passages, receive feedback, and work on evoking the expressive qualities of the music. 

Along with the skill involved in performing their music, the groups were also judged on their professionalism. They needed to maintain good posture, remain quiet while adjudicators were finishing their notes, transition from one piece to another quickly and quietly, and bring their instruments up with the conductor. The judges stress these skills in order for students to learn not only how to be professional musicians but also how to behave like them.

The SCSBOA festival gives five possible ratings for ensembles: Superior, Excellent, Good, Fair, and Poor in order from highest scoring to lowest scoring. Categories for consideration include tone quality, intonation, blend/balance, fundamentals, musicianship, and other factors like the selection of music and the appearance of the ensemble. 

The scores from all of these categories were determined by combining the scores based on the three pieces of music performed to make up the ensemble’s overall rating. By receiving a Superior rating from all 3 adjudicators, both ensembles received the additional recognition of Unanimous Superior which is a huge honor.

“Being able to play with everyone cohesively after so much rehearsal was really nice,” Vice President of Highlander Orchestra and junior Donavon Alnakoud said. “It was very rewarding to hear that the judges had given us the highest rating because of all the effort that we have been putting in refining the songs we performed.”

Leading up to the festival there was much preparation. As a group they practiced how to balance their sound with each other, practiced breathing together, and how to connect within their sections which is vital.

The advanced group of Chamber Orchestra holds themselves to high standards and are thrilled that their efforts are recognized by well-accomplished music educators. The intermediate group of Concert Orchestra has a large number of freshmen, many of whom have never attended a festival, getting their first experience at SCSBOA. 

Both ensembles are incredibly proud of the hard work and determination they have been putting in to prepare. They remained focused and connected throughout  their performance, refusing to  not let their nerves get the best of them, trusting the work they had  been putting in to give a fabulous performance.

“The orchestra students aren’t just fabulous musicians, many of them are enrolled in multiple AP classes, compete with athletic teams, and are involved with other teams and clubs,” Orchestra Director Bailey Knowles said. “They have many different passions and interests. For us to be able to compete at the level we do, and receive these ratings, makes me proud to see such determination and drive from my students, who balance many other obligations. It truly speaks to the culture and community we have within our orchestra program.”