Two school district bands received high ratings last week when
they traveled south to perform in a music forum in Cypress.
Two school district bands received high ratings last week when they traveled south to perform in a music forum in Cypress.
Both the Martin Murphy advanced band and the new Sobrato High band rece-ived a “gold” rating in their categories.
More than 60 students from the two bands traveled with 15 chaperones and Erik Kalish, director of both bands, on two charter buses.
On April 16, the bands performed in the auditorium at Cypress Community College in front of other bands and choirs, as well as two music professionals serving as judges. The two judges rated the bands, making audio and written notes as they listened. Kalish was given a copy of the notes for both bands to use to in improving the bands’ performance.
“It was great seeing them leave in the morning,” Sobrato Principal Rich Knapp, who was at Sobrato at 5:30am April 15 to see the students load up and start their journey.
“Erik Kalish is a young, dynamic teacher who doesn’t see limits,” Knapp said. “I am extremely proud of what he has done with the band, with this program, with the Murphy band.
“There were 22 kids signed up for the program (at Sobrato) when he started, and he increased that number to 33 this year. We have more than 50 signed up for next year, and I certainly think it is a strong possibility that he will have 70 students the following year, when we have all four classes. I’m very excited about this program.”
The two bands also joined forces during a workshop in a recording studio “backstage” at Disneyland.
A program called “Disney Music Days” offers students a chance to work with a professional conductor in a professional setting to learn how to improve their sight-reading skills, playing music from clips of Disney movies. The studio makes a tape for the band to keep of the movie clips scored with the bands’ music.
“All of us here at Martin Murphy are very proud of the students and Mr. Kalish,” Principal Rhoda Wolfskehl said. This was his very first trip, a big undertaking to organize. It’s exciting, it says a lot about our band program.
“We certainly want to keep the band program flourishing. The gold rating is a tribute to them and their hard work. It’s always a proud moment for our district when our bands or other school groups go out on their own and acquit themselves well, with their behavior and their performance.”
Marilyn Dubil covers education and law enforcement for The Times. She can be reached by e-mail at md****@mo*************.com or phoning (408)779-4106, ext. 202.
