Region 1 Band and Chorus
by: David Poirier, Kent Music Teacher
Regional Band and Chorus have existed in Region One for well over 30 years! The idea behind the program is to get the strongest musicians together from each of the middle schools to benefit and grow musically from working together. The larger quantity of students and the higher skill level of musicians makes for great results.
Traditionally, the students rehearse at HVRHS on Wednesdays after school through January and early February. The music teachers from each town take turns directing the ensembles. Each teacher has different strengths and priorities which help the student musicians to grow in new ways. When the opportunity presents itself, the music teachers also bring in clinicians to have masterclasses with the ensembles. This has given the students the opportunity to work with high school and college level instructors, and at the same time, provided professional development for the local teachers.
One of the best extrinsic benefits of the program is that the students start to develop friendships that will continue when they attend high school together. The students get the opportunity to work collaboratively with others that they may have competed with in sports.
The culmination of the program is the tour of the seven schools in Region One. Over the course of two or three days in the middle of February, the band and chorus will put on a concert at each of the elementary schools, followed by a night performance at HVRHS. This night performance adds high school students into the mix. The inclusion of the high school students in the final performance shows the younger students where they will be in a few years and gives them something to work for.
The tour in itself is a great learning opportunity. The students have to adapt to different performance spaces, pace themselves for multiple concerts within a day, and stay organized as they tote instruments, sheet music, and music stands from school to school. One of the highlights of these school performances is informally referred to as the “Creature Feature”. This is where the teachers highlight all the instruments in the band, and the student performers hold up their instruments to display to the younger students in the audience. The crowds “ooh” and “ah” as each instrument is presented to them. Of course, the reaction to the largest instruments is always most entertaining!
The great efforts by students and teachers make for an impressive performance. Regional Band and Chorus is definitely a tradition worth continuing!