On March 14, the SCHS Band of Pirates obtained the Exemplary Rating for their MSHSAA Large ensemble competition. That same day, the SCHS Orchestra also obtained, for the sixth year in a row, the Exemplary Rating at that same competition. Both groups worked hard throughout the 2023-24 school year to improve their skills.  

“The Band has worked hard. They all sound so much better than they did at the beginning of the school year. I’ve noticed lots of improvement,” Band Director Ryan Blankenship said. 

Orchestra Director Amanda Davis said similar things about the Orchestra.

“They’ve all worked so hard for this, every single player showed lots and lots of improvement. They did amazing at the competition.”

Although many were nervous about competing, they still did their best to perform.

“I was actually a bit scared to perform. I felt like it’d be tougher than marching band, but it was actually sort of the same,” freshman band member Alizon Mota-Luis said. 

After their turn to compete, the Orchestra and Band students took time to listen to groups from other schools perform. 

“I loved hearing all the different types of music that the other bands played. There were so many different variations. It was great,” junior band member Chris-Cortes Lopez said. 

Senior band member Chase Kluesner agrees with Cortes-Lopez. 

“I performed with both the band and orchestra, so I had the opportunity to listen to both types of music. I really enjoyed listening to the bass players.”

First chair violin player senior Odessa Burlis was thrilled about the orchestra getting the Exemplary Rating for the fourth time during her high school career. 

“We’ve gotten this award every year that I’ve been in high school, it’s an honor to get this award again.” 

This rating was granted to the SCHS band for the first time since pre-Covid high school.