To: Intermediate and Advanced Band Parents

To: Intermediate and Advanced Band Parents

From: Mrs. D. Gilliard, Band

RE: Festival information

Greetings!

The Prince George’s County Band Festival will take place April 7 – 8, 2011 at Northwestern High School. This event is the MSA for the instrumental music programs in this county and is very important. All instrumental programs in the middle and high schools perform at this event.

Each school will be assigned a day and time to perform. When I am informed about our assigned day and time, I will communicate with you again. Meanwhile, we are working hard to prepare to participate in this adjudicated event. We will perform on stage in front of 3 judges who will provide comments and a rating from 1 (superior)-5 (poor) on our performance on the music we have been practicing this year. This rating will be based on our execution of articulation, dynamics, style, rhythm, pitch, musical expression of the music and our stage presence. We will also have to sight read a song that we have never seen before in order to demonstrate how well we have learned basic rhythms, our notes on the instrument and our interpretation of the musical symbols in the music. We have been working to build these skills in class and after school throughout the year.

In order to give our best possible performance, each child will take a playing test on all 3 songs that we have been working on and sight-reading a piece that I will select. Each child must earn a passing score of 85% or better to perform. Please encourage your child to practice everyday to improve their tone, reading skills, and accuracy so that we will represent ourselves well on that day. Also, please make sure your child is available for rehearsal every Wednesday so that we can fine tune and improve the music for our best performance. Since we are combining 2 classes and some select members from the Beginning Band classes, we have to have the time to practice together so that we can blend well together and play well together. Those who do not pass the playing test and do not perform at festival will have to do a make up assignment. This performance is worth 700 points.

Feel free to view the video on “Why Music Matters” on YouTube.com ( to hear from band composer Jack Stamp why music is important and why accuracy of the highest standard is important for musical performance. I think you will enjoy it.

Thank you

Mrs. Danielle Gilliard