05.26.04
CHS band, chorus win awards at national competition
by Amanda Dumond of the Aroostook Republican

CARIBOU—The Caribou High School band and chorus earned several awards at a recent national competition - the Heritage Music Festival - in Washington, D.C.

"It is one of out most successful endeavors as a high school music program," music program director Vaughn McLaughlin said.

The group brought home three gold medals, a silver medal, three trophies and four plaques for their achievements. The symphonic band received the silver medal, and the concert choir, jazz choir and jazz band all received gold medals. In addition, the students received the Outstanding Band Award, which is given to the school with the highest scoring two performing instrumental groups and the Festival Sweep- stakes award, which is given to the highest scoring school attending the festival with three or more performing groups. [Correction- The department received the Outstanding Band Group trophy given to the highest scoring symphonic band in the division, the Sweepstakes Award for the highest scoring symphonic band overall, and the Festival Sweepstakes trophy given to the highest scoring school overall.]

Band and chorus members spent three days in the nation's capital, competing against other top-notch high schools and touring the various monuments. They also had the opportunity to perform on the Capital steps.

A wedding was taking place near the Capital, and Katie Tateishi, senior chorus member, said that the wedding party stopped to watch them sing and play.

She said that the chorus really came together and gave their very best performances at the festival.

"We were all on it that day," she said.

The opportunity to tour Washington, D.C. impacted senior band member Anthony Hessert.

"I had a really good time. I'd never been to D.C. before," he said. "And we went down there and did better than we expected. It made it all worthwhile for the band."

The band members also toured the Vietnam Memorial, which was especially meaningful because one of the songs referenced this war, Hessert said.

"We gained an understanding of where the song came from, and we were able to put so much more emotion into [the performance]," he added.

The band and chorus were critiqued by three adjudicators, many of whom were university professors or scholars. They competed against two other high school groups in each category. Once they finished their performance, they had a 50-minute workshop with one of the judges, who critiqued their work and gave them advice on how to improve.

The Heritage Festival competitions are held throughout the country including in Louisiana, Hawaii, New York, and Texas each year. It was the first time the group had attended the festival, though the music department tries to do one music trip a year for the students.

McLaughlin was equally impressed with the performances of his students and the way they portrayed Caribou.

"It was a wonderful trip all the way from the chaperones to the students," McLaughlin said. "And I was proud of the way our young people represented our community. They took great pride in their performance, were ladies and gentlemen, and dug in and helped with the workload whenever they were asked."