The Perry Maroon High School Band excelled at the OSSAA District Band Contest to qualify for the state contest on Tuesday, April 1 in Ada at East Central University. Looking back on program history since the mid-1990’s, the Band has qualified for the state contest every year, except for two.
There is a community state sendoff planned for Tuesday, April 1 at 9:30am. Family, friends and fans are asked to gather at Pizza Hut and the Exchange Bank ATM area along Fir Street to cheer and wave as the bus departs town.
The PHS Band currently has 55 students, including 12 seniors. They are working hard to perfect their performances for state. They’ll play the same pieces they did for districts, “Scramble” by Todd Stalter and “(not) Alone” by Randall Standridge.
According to the composers, Scramble is intended to aurally depict two characteristics: collecting things together in a disorderly way, and moving quickly with a sense of urgency. (not) Alone is part of Randall Standridge's "Unbroken Project" which was written to normalize discussion about mental health and show the composer's own journey.
The format and judging criteria for OSSAA Music contests is different from Marching Band or other sports. Band members do not compete against other schools, as much as against themselves and the music they perform. The judges are given a copy of the conductor's score and follow along as the band plays their stage performance. They then make critiques and decisions based on how closely the band performed to the written music, as well as listening for interpretation and musicianship. There is a rubric they follow, but many categories are based on the musicianship displayed during the performance.
The band is also judged on sight reading at the contest, which is included in the overall final score. During sight reading, the band is given a piece of music they have never seen before. They have eight minutes to review it, discuss the details, and can do anything except play their instruments. At the end of the eight minutes, they perform the piece for a panel of judges, similar to the stage performance.
The band is then given a "rating" of I - Superior, II - Excellent, III - Good/Average, IV - Fair, or V - Poor. Each of the three judges provides a score. The highest and lowest scores are then dropped and the band receives the remaining rating.
At the state competition, bands are also vying for the highest award given to a high school band, the "OSSAA Sweepstakes" award. This requires bands to receive a I rating at Marching Band Contest back in the fall, qualify for the state competition, and receive a “I” rating on the stage performance and sight reading.
PHS Band Director Andrew Houghton commented, “The band is currently working on the fine details of the music. Balancing different parts to make sure the inner harmony lines can be heard, and refining the details. We have invited a number of former directors and community members to clinic the band over the last few months, including Jim Parham, Duncan Coons, Susan Clothier, and Rev. Dr Joshua Bell.”
Participation in band takes a lot of work between marching, football games, Christmas concerts, basketball, wrestling, and then their contest and concert season in the spring. Not to mention their participation in parades, pep assemblies, and other community events, the band is constantly going from one event to another. Based on Houghton’s calculations, the Band puts in an average of 400 hours of work and service to the community every year, outside of their normal class period.
“This year in general has been amazing with the amount of energy the students have shown. These kids have really stepped it up, and make every event we attend a blast! I can't wait to see how they continue to grow in the future,” added Houghton.
GOOD LUCK TO ALL PHS BAND MEMBERS!