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MVHS Musicians Score High At Festivals

	Kylea McMurray Moapa Valley Progress Submitted Apr. 9, 2008 Various music groups from Moapa Valley High School (MVHS) have traveled to Las Vegas in the past month to compete in the annual Clark County School District Music Festivals. These groups have been led by Kim Delgadillo, band and orchestra director at the high school, and they have led the district on the score sheets.		The MVHS Chamber Orchestra poses for a photo following their “Superior” rated performance at the CCSD Orchestra festival.
	At the Clark County Festival, each musical group is ranked by three judges on three musical selections. A good director chooses pieces that challenge their group and show the wide range of style that of which their group is capable. The band and orchestra groups are judged differently, and by different judges, but each judge looks for good intonation, tone quality, rhythm and technique. All three of the MVHS Bands were judged by the same judges. Thomas McCauley, Mathew Roeder, W. Dale Warren and Donald Gunderson traveled from all over the country to judge 50 bands from all over Clark County School District. The first group to perform at Festival from Moapa Valley was the Freshmen band. They played Elite March, A Childhood Hymn and Oxford Point. The group did best in the rhythm areas of the score sheet and were given a “Good” rating overall. The next performance was the Sophomore Band. They performed Timberline Overture, I Saw Two Clouds at Morning and Courage March. They were also given a “Good” rating, but the judges felt that they were at the top of their classification, and accordingly gave them a “Good Plus.” The last of the band groups to perform was the Varsity Band. This is the largest of the bands at the high school, and next to the Jazz Band, the most elite group of band students. They played Songs of the Whalemen, Yorkshire Ballad and Fa Una Canzona. The judges were impressed with their performance, and they received an “Excellent” score. The group scored in the top 10% of all bands in Clark County. “This year the Band Festival was a tough experience,” said conductor Kim Delgadillo. “They have changed the way that bands are scored, and for the first time the judges gave ‘Fair’ and ‘Poor’ scores. We were amazed at how tough the judges were on all the bands, but our groups did their best, and they did well, especially the Varsity Band.” All three groups also competed in a Sight-Reading Competition. In this part of the festival, the band is given a piece of music that they have never played before and asked to perform it. The judge looks for accuracy in how the group interprets the music, and how well the band responds to the conductor. In this part of the festival, the Varsity Band received the best distinction given to a group, a “Superior Performance.” The Freshmen and Sophomore bands also competed well, and received “Excellent” ratings. “The sight-reading score is more important to me than the performance score,” said Delgadillo. “When the kids can perform without practice, and really without a lot of help from me, I know that I’ve done my job. They can do it, and they prove that in the sight-reading competition.” The Orchestra groups from MVHS were outstanding at their Festival. They were also judged by adjudicators from around the country, including Bill Bitter, John Koshak and Deborah Perkins. The Full Orchestra gave an outstanding performance that included Eine Kleine Nachtmusik, With Quiet Courage and Russian Sailor’s Dance. The judges were very impressed with the quality of the orchestra’s technique and behavior, and they awarded the group a “Superior” rating. The Chamber Orchestra was also awarded a “Superior.” Judge Bill Bitter said, “Thank you for your outstanding performance!” They were given top marks across the board for their selections Concerto in D Major, Butterfly and Flowers, and Mock Morris. The orchestra groups also participated in a Sight-Reading competition. The Full Orchestra received an “Excellent,” score and the Chamber Orchestra once again competed at the top of their class and received a “Superior.” “I don’t give much credence to the scores,” said Delgadillo. “Even when the groups perform well, for me it’s all in the process. When I can see the kids learn and grow musically, I know that it is all worth it.” The music groups at MVHS have a reputation for excellence. Besides directing talented groups on the stage each year, Delgadillo also directs the largest marching band in the state of Nevada, and travels each year with a small group called the MVHS Jazz Band. When asked about her success Delgadillo said, “It’s not me. The reason we have a successful program here is because of the quality of the kids that I get to work with. We have some amazing youth here in this Valley, and that’s why I do what I do.”