SHERBURNE – For the first time in more than a decade, the Sherburne-Earlville High School band is being pitted against one another in a competition for bragging rights and the title of “best” musicians.
Under counsel of S-E Band Director Jeff Manwaring, the band’s been split into two, each half getting a student conductor and a nearly even number of their bandmates to play an arrangement selected by students.
Both bands have been rehearsing for weeks. Their intent? To earn the highest score from a panel of judges comprised of music teachers from the S-E elementary, middle and high schools.
“I think they’re doing really well, and they’re going to be ready to perform,” said Manwaring.
This is the first Battle of the Bands S-E has hosted since 2004. And given the involvement of students – and the learning opportunities – it’s something likely to continue in the coming years, Manwaring said.
“I get to see just how much they can do on their own without spoon-feeding them all the dynamics, the articulations, and all those tiny things that they’ve gotten used to getting from me. So it puts a lot of weight on the performers because their conductors have a hard enough time keeping time and getting through the score. It puts more weight on all the musicians to step up to the plate to do all the little things to make the piece work.”
As for the conductors, they’re busy fine-tuning their musicians for the big performance, which is set for 7 p.m. Wednesday, February 10 in the S-E High School auditorium. Admission is free and open to all.
“Conducting is something I’ve done before, but it was more as a joke. This is much more serious,” said senior Duncan Campbell, one of the two conductors selected. “It’s been fun.”
Both bands have chosen a movie theme for their performance. Campbell’s band (brusquely named “Duncan’s Destroyers”) will be playing scores from the movies “The Avengers” and “Jurassic Park.”
With the performance just a week away, Campbell admitted that the gravity of the competition is starting to set in.
“I’m kind of nervous,” he said. “I’m definitely more confident in my band than my conducting.”
“We have great players,” said senior Marie Moren, the second conductor selected, “but it’s stressful because I’m in charge of a group of my peers.”
Moren’s band, yet to be officially named, has chosen music from the blockbuster films “Mockingjay” and the “Pirates of the Caribbean” series.
“[Conducting] isn’t something that I’ve done before; but I want to be a drum major this year, so it’s important that I do this.”
The competition has certainly become heated over the weeks, with both bands even talking a little light-hearted trash talk. But regardless of the outcome, Manwaring pointed out the benefits of friendly competition – and students will be better musicians because of it.
“It makes the students think a little more. They have to count, watch their part and listen to each other. It just brings their awareness up to the next level as performers,” he said.