Clawson Middle & High School Band & Orchestra Earn Highest Honors at District Festivals

The Clawson High School and Middle School Band and Orchestra earned highest honors at the recent Michigan School Band and Orchestra Association (MSBOA) District Festivals.

On Saturday, March 9, Clawson Public Schools hosted the Festival for Middle School Bands and Orchestras and High School Orchestras.

The Clawson Middle School Band and Orchestra both received superior ratings with 1’s in all categories. The Middle School Orchestra is composed of 50 7th & 8th grade students and the Middle School Band has 74 students

The Clawson High School Orchestra was awarded a superior overall rating. The High School Orchestra has 42 students.

On Saturday, March 16, the Clawson High School Band scored a superior rating with 1’s in performance and sight reading. The MSBOA District High School Band Festival was held at Lamphere High School.

Kevin Phillips is the director of the Middle and High School Band and Tavia DiSalvio directs the Middle and High School Orchestra. 

The Band and Orchestra Festivals provide an opportunity for ensembles to perform a program of three pieces for adjudication. Each group is evaluated by three performance judges and one sight-reading judge.

Ensembles are rated on a scale from 1 to 5, with 1 being the highest rating possible. The overall score is computed using a formula which combines the ratings of each judge. Ensembles that earn an overall 1 rating (or "Superior") qualify for the State Band & Orchestra Festival which is held in late April or early May.

MSBOA represents over 1,600 instrumental music teachers in public, parochial and private schools in Michigan.