By Molly Lovell
Editor
     The sounds of music could be heard coming from Scarborough High School last Thursday and Friday as students from area high schools participated in a band festival that’s been a long-standing tradition in the community.
     Over 20 bands and more than 1,000 students participated in the annual Maine Band Directors Association (MBDA) High School Band Festival.
     Scarborough High School’s band director Renee Richardson said the event has being happening for more than 20 years. Scarborough began hosting the event in 2001.
     She said the festival is designed to be more of a learning experience rather than a competition. A panel of four judges scored each band. They critiqued the bands on five categories: tone quality; intonation, expression; dynamics; phrasing, balance; blend, style; articulation, temp; and technique and rhythm.
     After points were totaled, bands were rated on a gold, silver or bronze status. A gold rating means the band exceeded the standards of musical performance.
     Scarborough’s three concert bands all received a gold rating, a first-time feat for the bands Richardson said.
      Richardson said Scarborough’s band students are proud to be part of such a festival as well as the high school’s music program.
     Richardson said she remembers when being part of the school band was considered a stigma. She said it’s not like that for students at Scarborough High School.
     “We get a lot of respect from everyone, including faculty and administration,” she said.
     Richardson said the band boosters contribute a lot of time fundraising for this event as well as the music program in general.
     Music programs are not generally considered a priority in school budgets and so it means a lot to have such an active band boosters organization, she said. It also allows the students to concentrate on their music rather than fundraising efforts, she said.
     Richardson said the event is a combination of fun and nervousness for the students.
     “They really want to do well,” she said, adding that one of the students asked if the judges would take points of for coughing.
     “What I really like about this event is how much they learn. They take it up more levels,” she said.
     Richardson said the students are able to learn not only from the judge’s critiques, but the other bands as well.
     “We learn so much,” said sophomore Kaitlin Watson. Besides learning different music techniques, some schools have instruments that Scarborough doesn’t have, which is another way students are able to learn through this festival.
     Sophomore Marcus Fenton was missing baseball to participate in Friday’s performance and though he was a little nervous, said he loves being part of the school’s symphonic band.