Striving for Superior

Above: IN SYNC: Advanced Orchestra student Doan Duong, a sophomore, poses in Room 251 on Feb. 26. Duong recognized the preparation students have put in for the Large Group Performance Evaluation on March 19 in the E.B. Mell Auditorium and has expectations for a successful outcome. “I hope we get all ones, ones are superior. That's the highest rank you can get through each musical piece. I wouldn't say it's really hard, but it does take a lot of hard work for it,” Duong said. Photo by Victoria Garland

Students will perform in the Large Group Performance Evaluation (LGPE) on March 19 in the E.B. Mell Auditorium.

Beginning, Intermediate, and Mastery Orchestra students are preparing for the Large Group Performance Evaluation (LGPE), which will be held on March 19 in the E.B. Mell Auditorium. 

Every year music teacher members of the all Georgia Music Educators Association (GMEA) are invited to take part in LGPE. According to GMEA, they have a mission to improve music education in Georgia, and LGPE provides an opportunity for music teachers to have their band, orchestra, or chorus groups evaluated by judges.

Orchestra students will perform three approved selections of music for GMEA adjudicators who will rate their performance on a four-point scale from “Needs Improvement” to “Superior.” Fine arts department co-chair Dr. Eunice Kang is eager to see orchestra students showcase their skills during LGPE.

“Although I have been directing orchestra for 20 years and this is my 20th LGPE, I never stop feeling excited and nervous. To me this is a great sign, because it means I still care deeply about the quality of our performance,” Kang said. 

Orchestra cellist Doan Duong, a sophomore, has experienced Kang’s approach to rehearsal..

“We do sectionals, which means that there are certain instruments that play together and (focus on) certain things they need to fix on. After that, we just rehearse together, and try to play together lyrically,” Duong said.

According to Kang, it’s taken effort to prepare for the upcoming performance. 

“Since we have been working on a few of these pieces since last semester and our attention to detail in rehearsal has been exhausting, some students complain that they are ‘sick of these songs,’ but I know they are actually excited, nervous, and looking forward to the final LGPE performance on March 19, which will summarize all of their practicing and hard work,” Kang said.

While Kang has prioritized practice when preparing for the event, she wants students to take away more from the experience than their ratings. 

“I hope that the program continues to grow and the students continue to work hard, and take pride in the process. Nothing worth achieving is easy, and the performing arts are not really about the final product (the concert), as much as they are about continuing to grow and develop during the process,” Kang said.

Story by Victoria Garland

Victoria Garland is a junior at Clarke Central High School in Athens, Georgia and serves as the Social Media Coordinator for the iliad Literary-Art Magazine. Garland’s passionate about sharing students creativity, and hopes to provide more of an outlet through social media. Outside of school Garland is on a competitive cheerleading team, plays piano, and enjoys hanging out with friends.