'Pride in your playing': Music students gain feedback, instruction at BCSD Standards Festival
Mar. 8—Several Sierra Middle School advanced orchestra members remained nervous even after performing at Bakersfield College's Simonsen Indoor Theater on Wednesday morning.
But Angela Woo, a professional adjudicator, found the appropriate words to calm them during the Bakersfield City School District Standards Festival.
"Nervousness means you care about doing a good job," said Woo, the director of instrumental music at John Adams Middle School in Santa Monica and one of four adjudicators at Wednesday's orchestra Standards Festival. "I could really see that. That was so obvious to anybody in the audience. There was so much pride in your playing even when you first walked on stage."
Sierra was the first of nine BCSD junior high or middle school advanced orchestras to perform Wednesday. Advanced orchestras from Lincoln, Compton, Sequoia, Emerson, Stiern, Cato, Curran and Chipman also performed.
They performed three songs each. During their performances, an adjudicator wrote comments and recorded a vocal critique, as well as scored them according to state standards.
Ivon Bajo, an eighth-grade violinist for Sierra, described performing in the theater as "nerve-wracking."
"I expected that there wouldn't be anyone there," she said. "But there were a lot of people there."
Dillon Braisher, the band and orchestra director at Sierra, said the setting was great for his students.
"They normally perform for winter and spring concerts at their site for their community that is very familiar with the ensemble," said Braisher, an alumnus of Frontier High and Cal State Bakersfield. "Here they get to come to Bakersfield College and they are in a very nice and professional stage. They get to perform for the other middle schools and other directors and guest clinicians. They get a lot of good feedback and a chance to perform live music."
The band Standard Festival took place Tuesday at BC. The band and orchestra Standard Festivals are in their 16th year. The choir Standard Festival, which takes place Thursday at BC, is in its sixth year. Roughly 1,300 students are participating in the three-day event.
Michael Stone, the BCSD visual and performing arts coordinator, was involved in the formation of the event 17 years ago. He said there are similar events where students can receive assessment and instruction, but the BCSD Standard Festivals are unique because they incorporate performance standards of the California Department of Education.
"Being under the lights in a beautiful concert hall like the Simonsen Theater, I think that is special," said Stone, a music director at Chipman for 15 years before becoming an administrator. "It's special in that they share that with their friends who are in their music class and their director. There's a special bond between a music teacher and students. I was a teacher and I love that part of being a role model for the children and being able to lead them to music."
Maritza Borja is in her eighth year as a BCSD visual and performing arts academic coach. She has a choral background and was excited when the Standards Festivals added choir performances six years ago.
She said it's a great opportunity for students to receive feedback and improve. She was looking for another full day of performances, this time with choirs on Thursday.
"It's a big day, a long day, but it's a great day filled with lots of learning," she said. "It's just the fun and excitement of getting to make music together."
