Not long after Spring Break, the Sr. Band embarked on our next goal — performing and earning our gold certification at the annual Kiwanis festival! With only 10 days until the performance, we had to focus on and pick up the rusty instruments left unattended during the break.

With two lunch rehearsals in the bag and three band classes, we were ready to play our best at Massey Theatre. This was nothing out of the ordinary. Since Grade 10, I remember the rush and stress of performing well during Kiwanis, especially because every time we would have less than 2 weeks until performance day.

The repertoire was the same as Ellensburg: Clutch, a fast-paced and momentous piece, followed by Starlight, a slow-paced, dynamic-heavy piece, concluded with Jupiter, a technically challenging, yet also emotionally evocative piece. Thus, we already had the upper hand in routine and pacing.

After the performance, we were treated to an important workshop where we could listen to feedback and how to improve as a band for future performances. As Dr. Markel said, “The performance and winning gold is not the most important part, but having a different set of ears to listen and give us feedback”.

Later that evening, we received an important Instagram post on @sgsmusicdm stating that we achieved the gold certification on all of our repertoire. It was another successful day for the Sr. Band.