The SMMS concert band performs at the Lower East Tennessee Student Band and Orchestra Association Festival, where it received a "Superior" rating along with the SMHS concert band.
Contributed photoThe superior talents of the Signal Mountain Middle/High School concert bands have been receiving recognition recently from the East Tennessee State Band and Orchestra Association.
The middle and high school concert bands were given a "Superior" performance rating at the Lower East Tennessee Student Band and Orchestra Association Festival held at UTC March 17. The district festival was the first time both have received the designation at the same contest.
Higher-level music educators judged the students based on their performance of three different selections of music compared with the known professional standard.
"It's a very exact, very demanding standard the orchestras and bands are held to against the different levels of the music," said Cliff Kent, director of publicity for the Signal Mountain Music Boosters. "Every member has to be synchronized correctly."
The SMMS concert band performed "Cedar Valley March" by Hodges, "Cascade Festival Overture" by Williams and "Cimarron Trail" by Shafer. The high-school students performed "The Trombone King" by King, "Amazing Grace" by Tichelli and "Fate of the Gods" by Reineke.
He said the rating qualifies both bands to be invited to attend the end-of-year Tennessee Music Education Association State Music Conference. The high school concert band is scheduled to perform at this year's conference in April following its "Superior" score from last year's district festival.
"[Recognition] doesn't get much higher than that within the state," said Kent.
The SMMS concert band filled out a good portion of the ETSBOA All County Honor Band as well. Supplying 24 of its 100 members, SMMS continued a five-year tradition of forming one-fifth to one-third the band.