Photograph by Douglas Rider
Saratoga High School students (from left) Paul Sprague, Tiffany Yao, Han Choi, Jon Jow, Megumi Nomura and Daniel Yao made the California Band Directors Association All-State Band this year.
Saratoga High students make the all-state band
By Rebecca Ray
Jon Jow, a senior at Saratoga High School, didn't get around to trying out for the all-state band last year. But he found time to audition this year. And, contrary to his expectations, he made it.
Jow said he was "really surprised," because having played the saxophone in the Santa Clara County Honor Band for the last two or three years, he had seen the talent of students in the county. Considering the talent statewide, he said, was even more daunting.
Five other Saratoga High students made the 2002 California Band Directors Association All-State Band. They are: sophomore clarinet player Han Choi, sophomore flute player Megumi Nomura, junior euphonium player Paul Sprague and seniors Daniel Yao and Tiffany Yao, who play the flute and clarinet, respectively, but who are not related. Choi, Sprague and Daniel and Tiffany Yao also made the all-state band in 2001.
From Feb. 14 through 17, the students attended a conference in Fresno, where they participated in workshops and rehearsals and performed a concert at the Saroyan Theatre. They also auditioned for placement in one of three bands--wind symphony, symphonic band and concert band, with wind symphony being the most advanced, and concert band being the most novice.
Last year, the association voted to increase the number of bands from two to three and add 30 more spots. But competition wasn't easier. In fact, it was probably stiffer this year, because each school could send 10 tapes instead of five, said Michael Boitz, the Saratoga High music director. In fact, Boitz said, he was surprised a couple of his students didn't make it.
Boitz said last year that the year was, by far, the most successful year for the school's band program. This year, the school music program is having another stellar season.
"We have a great group of student leaders," Boitz said. In fact, he added, "We're graduating a very talented and driven class, so I'm a little nervous about graduating the senior class this year. I've written more letters of recommendation for colleges than I've ever written in my teaching career this year."
Because the elementary and middle schools that feed into the high school don't have curricular music programs, Boitz says, it's hard to project exactly how talented incoming freshmen will be until they join the high school music program. "It's kind of like building a great big sandcastle every year, and then the tide always comes in," he said.
But although outreach has been a challenge, the music program has grown. In 1998, Boitz's first year teaching at the school, the orchestra had 12 string players. Now, more than 50 students play string instruments for the orchestra.
On the weekend of Jan. 11 through 13, Boitz presented two sessions at the California Music Educators Association Bay Section conference. During one session, he discussed how to grow and improve an orchestra with students of various ages and experience levels. The Saratoga High orchestra even performed during the session, which is the first time that a music group from the school has performed at a conference since the 1970s, Boitz said.
Boitz presented the second session, "Avoiding Pitfalls for Young Teachers," to a mixed group of college students and first- and second-year teachers.
The Saratoga High students who made the all-state band this year also earned spots on the 50th anniversary Santa Clara County Band Directors Association Honor Band in January. The other Saratoga High students who qualified for the county honor band are Brian Block, Jessica De Leon, Catherine Gold, Steven Hwang, Joseph Kim, Maris Lopez, David Luoh, Lizzie Tilles and Ada Yee. The band, conducted by Dr. Mallory Thompson of Northwestern University, performed a concert Jan. 13 at Spangenburg Auditorium in Palo Alto.
Saratoga, California Since 1955
