CCS bands garner high distinctions

Apr. 8—The Clinton City School bands were awarded the highest marks during the South Central District North Carolina Music Performance Assessment (MPA) held in March.

The MPA is hosted by the North Carolina Bandmaster Association (NCBA) as a form of final test for the year for bands across the state. The MPA this year was held at the University of North Carolina at Pembroke.

"The way I explained the MPA to the students is that this is basically our state test or E.O.G. (End of Grade) type test," Clinton High band director Geoffrey Tart said. "Not only is it a test for the students but it's also a reflection on what us as directors are having to teach."

Aside from serving as a end of grade test the MPA is also meant to provide a performance opportunity for students and directors that offers a critical assessment of the quality of their performances by highly qualified experts in band performance. It is also the only state-sanctioned event that provides a summative, standards-based assessment, designed to measure student performance as related to the goals, objectives and grade-level competencies specified in the North Carolina Standard Course of Study.

Both students and directors get the opportunity to perform for and learn from their peers in a formal concert venue. While being provided a model that connects quality preparation with quality performance and supports the continued musical growth of students and directors.

Tart and Sampson Middle band director Vevlyn Lowe each participated at this year MPA. Tart with the high school band and Lowe with the middle school band which was comprised of seventh and eighth graders. They didn't just participate either as both received the highest possible rating in all of their performances.

"So the Sampson Middle and high school bands each received a Superior rating and not just an overall Superior Rating, but straight superiors from every judge," Lowe said.

All bands at the MPA are required to play three pieces of music on stage. Their first pieces includes a concert march and the the other two pieces are selected from what's known as graded repertoire provided from the state.

"The performances are listed from one through six with music at one being the easiest and six the most challenging," Tart said. "There's some past grade six but not many schools do that, Mrs. Lowe went grade two and I went grade four."

"For middle school that's pretty much in the middle, standard, and for high school grade four is pretty much the standard," he added.

As stated on the MPA website, www.ncbandmasters.org, a Superior rating is comparable to the grade of "A". This rating reflects an outstanding performance for the event and experience level of participants being evaluated. The performance of all selections demonstrates that the group is able to meet all of the technical demands of the music with a thorough awareness of the composer's intent.

Bands that receive this rating perform beyond the basic performance of notes and rhythms, and into the area of artistic expression. While the adjudicator may find some minor points to critique and may make suggestions for improvement. Their comments sheet would show a majority of A's, for the various captions and remarks would be generally complimentary for outstanding work.

To earn those Superior ratings the middle school band performed Mountainbrook March by Douglas Akey, The Legend of Castle Armagh by Paul Murtha and Valiance by Robert W. Smith. While the high school performed Circus Day by Karl King, Cumberland Cross by Carl Strommen and The Light Eternal by James Swearingen.

"As for the actual performance, at one point, I felt like I was working with and in front of a very professional group," Tart said." "We were able to walk in warm up and the kids were very professional. That's was one of the things we always talked about, when you're in front of any kind of performance, or in public, we're showing who we are."

"Even from the time we left to the time we got back, they were nothing but professional," he said. "I told the kids normally MPA is a stressful day but this time it was not stressful to me and I actually enjoyed that day. All together it was just that, a very enjoyable day and the kids are still talking about it."

Lowe also weighed in her thoughts on her students' performance. For her, the biggest takeaway that made her more proud than ever before was how they performed this well despite battling COVID.

"The one thing I'll say is that throughout the years I've received Superiors before but I combined my seventh and eighth graders together for MPA into one big group," she said. "My eighth graders, however, are the ones who started during COVID."

"They learned how to play with a mask on and I saw them one day a week during COVID because that's when our schedule was different," Lowe continued. "Some of my students I never saw face to face during COVID until we had our first concert in December. I saw them through a computer screen and teaching band during COVID was probably the hardest thing I've ever done."

"How can you teach a kid how to play an instrument and play in an ensemble through a computer screen, it is impossible," Lowe added. "You cannot experience band, as an ensemble, through a computer so to this group receiving a Superior makes me more proud than ever before."

Reach Michael B. Hardison at 910-249-4231. Follow us on Twitter at @SamsponInd, like us on Facebook, and check out our Instagram at @thesampsonindependent.