Unlike football, volleyball, or any other competitive sport, the music departments of high schools don’t have a simple way to measure their skill. Luckily, every year, Great Falls is able to host a district festival for the Montana High School Association. Steve Olson, the orchestra director at C. M. Russell High School, plays a large role in ensuring that the event is a success. “It’s a lot of work. It’s a lot of stress. But, if you prepare well and practice, and think smartly about things whether its a solo ensemble or large group, it works pretty well,” he said.
At the festival, orchestra classes play as a large group, performing prepared pieces and then sight reading another one they have never seen. Adjudicators score those performances, and groups would be placed in ranks from one to five, with one being the highest score. Being the only orchestral teacher at CMR, Olson had to prepare three classes for this festival.
Olson said that for large ensembles, “everyone got ones in sight reading, and freshman and Concert got two in prepared and Chamber got a one.”
With all of the hours dedicated to teaching the groups, he said that he was happy with the scores of each group. The adjudicators give comments on the score sheets as well, which helps give an outside perspective about each orchestra’s playing.
The day after the large group performances, students have the opportunity to play a solo or in a small ensemble to be ranked as well. All of these performances are prepared, and they are ranked in a similar manner as the large groups. CMR’s orchestra department had a large number of participants for the performances, many of which ranking highly. Olson said that the orchestras had over 30 ones and 20 twos.
Any performer who scores a one on their solo is given the opportunity to play at the state festival, which is held in early May. Next year, the numbers for the orchestra program are projected to be the same, which will hopefully help meet the standards CMR has set.
Author: Staff
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