Blair hosts band festival

The annual District Two Band Festival was held in Blair's auditorium yesterday, March 24. Eleven high-school bands from around the county, including Blair's Symphonic Band, played in the festival. Blair received the highest possible rating in both stage performance and sight reading.

On a scale from one to five, one being superior, two out of three judges awarded Blair with a level one rating for the band's onstage performance. Blair played three pieces, including a traditional Australian song called "Waltzing Matilda," Grainger's "Ye Banks and Braces Oh Bonnie Door" and Giovanni's "Overture in B Flat."

In addition to the stage performance, each band was rated on how well its musicians could sight read. The bands were required to play a piece they had never seen before. The ratings were based on correct notes and on expression.

Music teacher Dustin Doyle was pleased with the band's performance and the event overall. "The students did a nice job on some difficult music," he said, "and a lot of students helped out to make sure everything ran smoothly."

Volunteers missed class for the festival, which ran from 8:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., to welcome guests, set up and help direct visiting band members around Blair throughout the day.

Besides playing with the band, senior trombonist Gabriel Osborne assisted with the event after Blair's performance. As an experienced band member, he thought the day was successful. "In the past, there have been bigger crises," Osborne said. "Today went relatively well."

This was the first time music teacher Doyle helped to host a festival, and he looks forward to doing so again. "[Hosting the festival] was worthwhile," he said. "I hope to we'll be able to do it again next year."