On Wednesday, March 13th, the DHS Band was evaluated in the annual Large Group Performance Evaluation (LGPE). The Georgia Music Educators Association (GMEA) judges the band and scores them based on their performance. This year the band excelled and received all the highest scores of Superior Rating.
Broken up into three different levels of expertise, the band consists of, concert, symphonic, and wind ensemble. Each level plays three pieces they have learned and practiced throughout the year. For the first time in eight years, the wind ensemble, the highest level of the high school band, performed a masterwork-level musical piece. Masterwork-level pieces are chosen as the highest level the band can learn due to their difficulty. Each piece played is rated on a level of one to six. Their masterpiece was rated a six. The wind ensemble played Enigma Variations by Edward Elgar and arranged by Earl Slocum. Due to the complexity and nuance of this piece, it was scored as two pieces, so the only other piece they performed was Children’s March by Percy Aldridge Grainger.
After each level of the band plays the pieces they practiced throughout the year, they are given sheet music and seven minutes to sight-read. During this time they are not allowed to play their instrument and are then rated on the group’s performance. Between the pieces they had practiced and the completely new music, all band levels were given the highest rating from GMEA.
