Photograph by Jacqueline Ramseyer
Melodious Tunes: Jasmine Parker, 12, a seventh grader from Campbell Middle School, plays the saxophone during the Campbell Union School District second music festival Feb. 28.
CUSD holds annual music festival
Nearly 200 students perform, draw crowd
By Moryt Milo
Nearly 200 students in middle school bands, orchestras and choirs united Feb. 28 for the second annual Campbell Union School District Middle School Music Festival at Campbell Middle School.
Hundreds of parents, teachers and friends attended the one-night performance, which included a variety of musical styles, including show tunes, light concert and classical pieces.
Similar to concerts performed at local high schools, the concert was a unique opportunity for the district's sixth-, seventh- and eighth-graders from Campbell, Rolling Hills and Monroe middle schools to perform and deliver their musical presentations after dedicating countless hours to practice.
Students Kelsey Yuhara, Sarah Orlando, Sarah Picard and Brianna Driggs performed a flute and clarinet piece for a small crowd of Campbell residents, Santa Clara County Library board members and Campbell city officials as part of a ceremony dedicating the new Campbell Library entrance earlier that day.
"It was exciting to perform with the other schools," Driggs said. "I played with my friends from the other middle schools and in front of my family."
The event combined three pieces selected by each middle school music teacher. Campbell Middle School music teacher Mary Nguyen chose a musical piece to perform during the event called "Kilkenney Brigade"; Rolling Hills music teacher Don Angwin chose Gershwin classics; and Monroe Middle School music teacher Ray Bernd selected "Canadian Trilogy."
"I'm so proud of our students and the teachers who are bringing this event to the community," said CUSD Superintendent Johanna VanderMolen. "Because of the community's support, ours is one of only a few districts in the state that can offer instrumental music instruction to hundreds of middle school students every year."
Each teacher rehearsed separately for a month with advanced school bands and before the performance all three schools met for one large rehearsal.
It was difficult for the schools to schedule more than one combined practice, so the bands had only one opportunity to hear how they sounded before the big night.
"This is great for the kids," Nguyen said. "The students experienced different conducting styles."
Nguyen also said the event created a competitive spirit, with students working hard to showcase their talent.
"The students hear the better musicians and it becomes another way of encouraging them to practice more," Nguyen added.
The four eighth-graders from Campbell Middle School had performed in the event last year. When asked to compare the musical selections they played last year to this year, they said they were more comfortable with this year's selections.
"This year's pieces weren't as hard and the [tempo] was slower so we sounded [good]," Orlando said.
The students said they enjoyed playing as a big band because it made the music sound fuller and more complete, to which Picard added, "I think we sounded really dynamic this year."
CUSD spokeswoman Marla Olszewski said, "For middle schools to have instrumental instruction is uncommon now, because so many lost their programs due to budget cuts in the '90s."
"Teachers deserve our appreciation because they made this festival happen. They combined their programs, so the experience for the students was very enriching," Olszewski added.
Campbell, California
