The Clarke Central High School Symphonic Band performs at the Pre-Large Group Performance Evaluation, a preliminary for the annually-held LGPE during which Georgia middle and high school band programs are given an evaluative rating based on a prepared performance, held on Feb. 22 in Mell Auditorium. At the Pre-LGPE, performance bands from CCHS and Burney-Harris-Lyons Middle School had a chance to perform and practice for the upcoming LGPE held on March 8-9. “When you get up on the stage, all of a sudden, it becomes very real to you. In the band room we can mess up many times (because) we’re gonna restart, we’re gonna reset, we’re gonna go back and rehearse it,” CCHS Director of Bands Christopher Simpson said. “But when you’re on the stage and actually in a performance, there is no restart. There’s no, ‘Hey, let’s do it again, because we can play it better,’” Photo by Audrey St. Onge
The CCHS band program held their Pre-Large Group Performance Evaluation on Feb. 22 in Mell Auditorium.
In preparation for their upcoming Large Group Performance Evaluation held on March 8-9, members of the Clarke Central High School and Burney-Harris-Lyons Middle School band programs participated in Pre-LGPE, where different ensembles performed various compositions and received recorded feedback in Mell Auditorium on Feb. 22.
At 5 p.m., the CCHS Symphonic Band performed two pieces. According to CCHS Director of Bands Christopher Simpson, Pre-LGPE serves as important preparation for the upcoming LGPE performance.
“A lot of (band members) haven’t performed consistently these past couple years just due to COVID and how the instruction (had to be) altered because of (the pandemic), Simpson said. “So I know a lot of them were nervous and getting some jitters out.”
Following the CCHS Symphonic Band performance, the BHL Concert Band also performed two songs. Simpson believes they performed well, even though some band members first learned to play their instrument through virtual learning.
“(BHL) did well and for the seventh-graders, this is their second concert ever,” Simpson said. “Normally, you’d have had at least four or five concerts by the time you reach seventh grade and for a lot of the seventh-graders, these were the kids that started to learn how to play instruments via Zoom so that’s a lot to overcome.”
“Normally, you’d have had at least four or five concerts by the time you reach seventh grade and for a lot of the seventh-graders, these were the kids that started to learn how to play instruments via Zoom so that’s a lot to overcome.”
— Christopher Simpson,
CCHS Director of Bands
The CCHS Wind Ensemble performed three compositions to end the program. Having attended LGPE before, CCHS junior and Wind Ensemble tuba player Alessandro Mazariegos believes that with coming weeks of practice, the band can find greater success.
“We could have done better. There were a lot of parts where some people were early, some people were late and then some people started dragging under the tempo,” Mazariegos said. “Everyone needs to practice at home, go over their music, and not only practice while (they are) at school.”
Following the performances of all three bands, audience member and Clarke County School District grandparent Synthia Sneed believes that each group should feel accomplished about their performances.
“I think that they are going to be quite proud of themselves. Individually, they can’t see it all, but then after we have it recorded, and show (the recording) to them, I think they will be quite pleased at how well it turned out,” Sneed said.
To better prepare for LGPE the CCHS band program will now go over the feedback provided by judges in order to perfect their performances.
“Our judges gave us a recording off of a handheld (device) and we will jot stuff down from it. It’s just about running back, being consistent, playing over and over and over again and just making those small changes to our performance to make it the best it can be,” Simpson said.
