This past week, Lafayette’s three concert bands attended a KMEA assessment. All three bands have been working hard to perfect their pieces for the judges. For those of you that don’t know what an assessment is, this a chance for bands to be judged on their pieces and get feedback to help improve their band.

Along with playing their concert for the judges, the bands endured a sight-reading session. The bands are also judged on this. Sight-reading is a big deal for musicians, there will never be a time when they won’t sight read. When they begin a new piece, they will always sight read. The bands are judged on sight reading, so the director receives feedback on how well the band can sight read, and that they understand the musical markings. For students that plan to pursue a musical major in college sight reading is a big deal.

This year all three bands: Concert, Symphonic, and Wind Symphony, received straight ones. These means that all the judges gave them distinguished. This is a big achievement for the bands, they work so hard, and having a different set of ears judge them this well is huge.