In preparation for their annual MPA, or Music Preparation Assessment, the Robinson Concert Band and Wind Ensemble joined by the Plant High School Band program gathered in the auditorium on Wednesday, February 25 to receive feedback from judges about how they can improve before their official assessment on March 6 and 7.
They performed 6 songs in total, split between the Concert Band and the Wind Ensemble. They were given feedback on technique, such as precision, or how synchronized the performance was, articulations and balance.
“It’s kind of like dressing from head to toe. If you are going to a wedding, you aren’t going to, for example, put on tennis shoes. Every part matters,” Jeffrey Traster, former director of bands at the University of Tampa and one of the judges at the concert, said.
The band was not given a formal grade as they would receive at MPA, but each of the 3 judges provided detailed commentary and tips on how to improve.
The Robinson Concert Band presented an astounding performance, starting the night off with a lively march by R. Alan Carter and ending with “Sea Shanty Saga,” a piece by Tyler Arcari that has three distinct movements. The Wind Ensemble, which performed second, similarly performed a march, “Coat of Arms” by George Kenny, along with two more beautiful pieces. “City Trees,” by Michael Markowski, is a much slower, perseverant song, and “Variations of a Korean Folk Song” by John Barnes Chance.
“My favorite one is ‘City Trees,'” Pranali Aswal (’28) said. “It’s a very beautiful piece. And I love the range that we’re in. It fits my instrument very well.” Aswal plays clarinet for the Wind Ensemble.
For many Robinson Band members, the best part of the night was not playing; it was actually getting to see the Plant High School band perform their pieces.
“I loved ‘The Parting Glass’ which Plant played. Its very nostalgic as I played something similar to it. It’s a Celtic tune from a while back, it’s just wonderful,” Clarinet player Leo Wang (’29) said. This is Wang’s first time participating in MPA, and he is in both the Wind Ensemble and the Concert Band. “The Parting Glass” was composed by Robert Sheldon.
Last year, the Robinson Band received straight superiors, the top grade, across all categories in MPA. They hope to achieve the same thing this year. Romy Caputo, a trumpet player in the Concert Band, expressed her confidence in their upcoming assessment.
“The best part of it [The concert] was, for one, listening to the other bands perform, but also just like, being done and kind of being like ‘Okay, we did it. We can do this,'” Caputo said.
