We are Superior

Today was Festival for Inman Orchestra!
This was not a fair or a party or anything like that.
Orchestras from all these different schools in Georgia go to another school to play three prepared pieces for Judges. They then play a sight reading thing. They are graded as follows.


POOR - 4
GOOD - 3
EXCELLENT - 2
SUPERIOR - 1


1, of course is the best. "Superior". Grady got 2 excellents and we were determined to best them!
And we did. Inman Orchestra scored a total of
FOUR STRAIGHT SUPERIORS
This year at Festival.
Congrats Ms. Shields! I'd say you owe us a juice party...

Now, here's a short unveiling of the inner workings of our Festival preparations....
1. PRACTICING
Of course turning in practice records is expected weekly of orchestra students, but this time it is the work that goes into it that counts. If you don't practice, you don't go.
2. TESTING
Ms. Shields tested everyone in groups of 1-3 on passages from the music. She scored you and eliminated the incapable. This resulted in several long periods of sitting around. Most students chose to practice in this time. You go up with your music. She tells you where to play. You play. Not everyone made it, particularly among sixth graders, but a lot of people did.
3. REHEARSALS
Once you pass testing (IF you pass testing) you must attend a ton of rehearsals till 5:30 on Tuesdays and Thursdays, the last three of them mandatory. Ms. Shields would go on long rants to people who left early or didn't come to go to grow club or whatever. Of course, I had to leave at 4:40 to go to AJCO, but Ms. Shields let it slide. We rehearsed in the Band Room and the cafeteria for more space.
4. MS. SHIELDS GOING BALLISTIC
We're too loud... we're uncommitted... we do not attend rehearsals...
Ms. Shields was often provoked by our teenager-y lack of support.
5. THE BOOT
Not sure how many kids were kicked off for missing mandatory rehearsals. Maybe none. Maybe Ms. Shields is that forgiving.
6. THE INSTRUMENTS
Competition over school instruments is fierce in these desperate times! Certain STUPID VIOLIST was irresponsible at every rehearsal, and even on the final date. I can't really blame certain other violist this time, as he doesn't actually have a viola. But someone else better get in shape with his reliability...
7. THE TUNING
Being someone who can tune, I was supposed to... tune. Other kids. But it's so tiring. Because some kids won't have shoulder rests and they have to play it. Some kids' pegs won't turn at all. But I do my best for the good of the community. :)


There's a little... background. Now that we have that covered, what actually happened?

Well, the buses, despite having previously arrived a day early, were an hour and a half late. That meant we had very little time to warm up, but luckily we managed to preform. The buses were hot and crowded, with a Ms. Shields on each bus.
(And yes, having two Ms. Shields talking the same from different directions (and then looking the same when you whirl around) is VERY confusing)
Having the windows open helped, though. It was very nice terrain out the window. We passed the airport and several plains. We also passed the location of my first Allstate audition.
We got at this HUGE intimidating high school. I've seen airports smaller than that high school. And I'm not just talking about the Ithaca airport, which is pretty much smaller than any school you could find in Georgia. It was HUMUNGOUS and very intimidating. When I saw it, I remembered why we were actually there, and I started getting just a little physically nervous. We were led by some of the high school orchestra students there to a warm - up room, where I helped tune.
Then we were led with all our stuff to the auditorium, where I got a slightly deja vu-ish feeling because it somewhat resembled the auditorium at Grady (where Morningside had its talent show). We had three judges sitting at podiums in the back. Then a bunch of guests were in a back wing. Ms. Shields 2 sat near the front.
So we played. Improvada, Canyon Sunset, and Conquistador. The judges wrote notes and talked commentary into little microphones. We'll get the recordings later. We couldn't actually hear them at the time, of course. They were given time to finish up between each piece. One of our judges was Richard Prior, the conductor of EYSO (joint with AJCO). The other two were women.
Then we left and we were SO HUNGRY but we had to go to sight reading.
Sight reading was in a room near our warm-up room. We came in. The guy gave us an introduction thing. Then he passed out folders. We opened them and took out this Hawaiian Lullaby. We had 6 minutes to look it over. Ms. Shields could instruct us for the last three. Then we played. I think the violas did very well. At least my stand. Basically the front two rows were good, though the seconds sounded thin and out of tune. But then the guy was like "Applaud your conductor because she just got you a 1!"
We were like AAAAAAAAAH!!!!
Basically they were judging us on our resilience and our ability to follow the conductor.
So yay.
Then we went and stood around in a hallway and then we FINALLY got to eat. Outside. In the heat. But in the shade!
Alex and I were like "MUST HAVE JUICE...."
Grape, orange, apple, cranberry, mango, lemonade, pineapple, grapefruit...
ANYTHING.
So I borrowed a dollar and waited for like TEN MINUTES in line to get to this concession stand and all they had was sprite. So I was like "No way am I leaving after waiting all this time" and I bought a chocolate bar. Alex and I shared it.
Yum.
Because the buses had been late, we did not have time to see any other groups. We lined up. Ms Shields was like "Y'all got straight ones!" and we were like
AAAAAAAH!
Then we went on the bus and drove home in the HEAT.

Band goes to Festival next wednesday! Good luck emma!
That's all for now!
~Julia

P.S. I got a blister walking home in my dress shoes.
P.P.S. I met a violist on the way home! He had a british accent.