The officers of the HF-L High band groups and award winners from Virginia Beach are (back row) Kara Oatman, Ryan Barski, Lucas Smith and Kyle McDougall; (middle row) Kit Rhodes, Marianthi Stakos, Abbey Paulson and Eleanor Vaughan; and (front row) Manda Borden and Lea Deisenroth. Missing is Amy Li. Submitted photo
Just as their choral counterparts did in spring 2015, the Honeoye Falls-Lima High School band members showed exactly why HF-L was named a Best Community for Music Education from the NAMM Foundation (supported in part by the National Association of Music Merchants) earlier this year when they returned home on April 24 with an armful of honors from the Virginia Beach Music Festival competition.
“This year, we took 100 kids across the three groups which went to the festival,” high school instrumental teacher Mark Borden said earlier this week. “We’ve been going to the Virginia Beach Music Festival for almost 25 years, alternately every other year with the high school choral groups.”
The Concert Band won first place in its division with a “Superior” rating. The Wind Ensemble also took first place in its division and earned a “Superior” rating. The Jazz Ensemble received a “Superior” rating in gaining first place in its division. Recognized as standouts at the festival were the Concert Band’s saxophone section, the Wind Ensemble’s percussion section, the Jazz Ensemble’s rhythm section, the Jazz Ensemble’s saxophone section and the Jazz Ensemble’s brass section. The Wind Ensemble won the festival’s Grand Champion Award, which recognized the top group regardless of school classification or group division. The students are judged by collegiate professors from the region.
HF-L students also received some individual honors. Amy Li, Marianthi Stakos, Manda Borden, Abbey Paulson and Kyle McDougall all received trophies as outstanding soloists.
“It is one of the manifestations of the Best Community for Music Education award,” Borden said. “Each time we go outside the comfort zone of our community, we always come back with positive results. It not only shows the quality and strength of our music programs but the fact that we choose to be adjudicated. It is a litmus test of where we stand regionally.”
