All About The Music: High schools win music award from ISSMA

the award comes from a full year of hard work.

Marching band students began perfecting their shows in the sweltering heat of the summer.

Band and choir students spent their winter afternoons mastering solos and playing with their peers in ensembles. They wrapped up their year in the spring playing in concert band and jazz invitationals.

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Hundreds of band and choir students at three high schools in the county have contributed to an Indiana State School Music Association award meant to honor schools who offer a well-rounded music education.

Center Grove High School and Whiteland Community High School’s band departments have earned the All-Music Award for band from the statewide music organization. Band awards are given to schools who earn gold in marching band events, solo and ensemble events, jazz events and concert band events.

Greenwood Community High School is one of 14 high schools across the state that won the coveted All-Department Award.

Full department award winners demonstrate that both their band and choir departments have robust enough programs that students earn gold ratings in multiple events for both band and choir. Choirs earned the all-music award by earning gold in show choir or jazz events, solo and ensemble events and ISSMA organizational contests.

“It is recognition that we are a really balanced music department, that we are not putting all of our eggs in one particular basket,” John Morse, band director at Greenwood Community High School, said.

None of the schools actively seek the award or speak about it much to students throughout the year, band directors said.

However, the award comes when music educators offer well-rounded music programs and design shows that allow the students to get well-rounded music educations, directors said.

“It means our students are getting a well-balanced music education and that out students are working hard at everything they do,” Pete Sampson, band director at Whiteland Community High School, said.

Winning the award takes hard work from hundreds of students at each school all year.

The band department award work begins in the summer when students are marching and learning their music and choreography during band camp. Students then compete most of the school year in other bands. Choir students are working on their routines throughout the year too. Students who sing and play at solo and ensemble contests spend their own time practicing.

And it takes every student enrolled in the music program to pull the award off, as they all participate in at least one event that goes toward the award, Morse said.

“By the time you get through the entire year, all of these students have participated in at least one of those things, if not multiple,” he said.

Music educators at each of the school do not plan their year around the award, but the award comes when they seek to give students a well rounded music education as part of their time in the department, Kevin Schuessler, band director at Center Grove High School, said.

“I think it is important to do whatever we need to do for the kids for that particular year,” he said.