Just recently, Aliso’s orchestra went on an exciting field trip to San Juan High School to perform at the annual Southern California School Band & Orchestra Association (SCSBOA) Festival. Orchestra’s three ensembles: the String, Advanced and Chamber Orchestra (respectively ordered from least to most advanced) attended and performed two to three pieces.
The SCSBOA Festival is organized by the Southern California School Band & Orchestra Association; a non-profit organization aimed toward providing musical education and resources for orchestras and band students around different Southern Californian schools. They were founded in 1937 and have been supporting around 11 southern counties with their mission. They host a variety of events to help and bring fun to students all around.
The festival occurs annually over multiple days and can be hosted by different volunteer schools who can choose between two types of festivals: a clinic or a sight reading. Based on these available times, locations and types of festivals, participating schools can schedule when they’d like to perform during a time that is fit for them.
Aliso didn’t participate last year due to a separate opportunity, despite their previous participation. This year, Aliso rejoined and decided to perform on March 18 around 12 p.m. at San Juan Hills High School who was hosting a clinic festival.
Both clinic and sight reading festivals begin with a performance from the ensembles of a couple pieces in which three adjudicators judge and score each ensemble on a plethora of points that are skills based and comportment.
Ansh Sharma (11), a violinist of the Advanced Orchestra said, “They judge you on dynamics [but they also] judge you the moment you walk out on stage. [They look at] the way you enter the stage, if you’re talking with your friends [or] if your posture is slouched, you get deducted points.”
At the end of each festival, Mr. Chen receives multiple score sheets from the adjudicators that indicate the ensemble’s overall quality of performance.
The String and Advanced Orchestra received an average score of “Excellent”, which is the second best score possible out of five different categories. The Chamber Orchestra received a unanimous score of “Superior” from the judges, meaning that all three judges agreed on the same perfect scoring. Their amazing work and practice has brought them these amazing scores, bringing pride and joy,
Afterwards, they dove into the special activity. Clinic is when one of the adjudicators comes in and works with the ensemble to give them feedback specific to what they saw during their performance. A session that proves to be very helpful to students as it helps with improving their programs in future high stress performances.
Sight reading is the other type of festival that Aliso did not participate in. It consists of the orchestra receiving several pieces, and without playing it, the orchestra must prepare to perform one of them in around four minutes.
At the festival, the String Orchestra performed “Fantasia On a Theme from Thailand” by Richard Meyer, “Lullaby” by William Hofeldt, and “Furiant” by Elliot Del Borgo. The Advanced and Chamber Orchestra performed the same pieces which were “Hebrides Overture” by Felix Mendelssohn, “North Star to Freedom” by Soon hee Newbold and “Forest incantations” by Alan Lee Silva.
A lot of time and care is put into choosing the program, especially because the program and its difficulty is also considered during the scoring process, and Mr. Chen, the Orchestra Director, is in charge of building it. One of the pieces in the program had to be from a list provided by the association.
Mr. Chen explained his thought process, “I have to think about, ‘Okay, what’s on the list?’ and also, how can I build a program that has a good mix of fast pieces versus slow pieces [with] different techniques and, obviously, pieces we enjoy playing and learning, and that the audience will enjoy as well.”
The ensembles prepare extensively before the performance, practicing a couple months beforehand. Although the festival is not a competition, it is important to the orchestra to receive a good overall score from the judges.
Every year the Orchestra learns more and are amazed on what they are capable of doing.
Ansh expresses that although there is much pressure leading up to the event, “It’s just a performance [so] everyone is there to have fun, and it is mainly a [good] learning experience.” Showing his appreciation and enjoyment of the festival.
