Carlsbad High School’s band and orchestra recently participated in the Southern California School Band and Orchestra Association District Band Orchestra Festival (SCSBOA). Band performed on March 6, chamber orchestra went on March 7 and string orchestra on March 8. The festival took place at El Camino High school.

The competition was judged by specialists in their respective fields. They ranked the schools as superior, excellent, good, fair or poor. Medals, pins, and stickers were awarded.

“Orchestra and band attended different days of the competition,” junior and chamber orchestra member Emma Wood said. “SCSBOA is  a competition we have every year. We choose three pieces and we work on them for a long period of time and then we are judged not for placement but for our level of the music.”

The two levels of band and orchestra competed against high schools and middles schools from southern California. Concert band, consisting of sophomores and freshman, and wind ensemble, made up of juniors and seniors, performed. Orchestra’s string and chamber performed as well.

“We played two songs in our performance,” sophomore and band member Karena Korbin said. “Wind Ensemble performed Marche Slav by Tchaikovsky and On a Hymnsong of Philip Bliss by David R. Holsinger. Concert band played a song dedicated to James Dean.”

The festival consisted of two parts: performance and sight reading. Throughout the competition, participants must maintain a level of professionalism because they are constantly being judged.

“There is a panel of three judges who watch us during our performances,” freshman and band member Melissa Kay said. “For sight reading there is only one judge. Sight reading involves not being able to see the music, seeing the music, and preparing it for a short three minutes. Then we have to perform it to the judge.”

The judging for SCSBOA was altered this year to make the competition more competitive and strenuous.

“I know out of all the CHS orchestras and band we rated highest and got the Superior,” Wood said. “Usually a Superior is unanimous which is what we strive for. Since the judging was extra challenging this year, we accepted a Superior or an Excellent.”

The competition ended with Carlsbad’s band and orchestra ranking high in majority of their divisions. Concert band received “good” and wind ensemble got “excellent”.

SCSBOA is not only a way for band and orchestra to have all of their hard work pay off and be able to perform their pieces, but it also gives them the experience they need for future competitions.

“We have a concert right before SCSBOA and that helps us get ready,” Wood said. “SCSBOA was more of a stepping stone this year to help us prepare for Carnegie Hall in New York. “