Eastwood Band Earns Top Rating at OMEA State

The Eastwood High School Concert Band was one of 11 Class B bands in Northwest Ohio, from a field of 18, to earn a Superior (I) rating at the Ohio Music Education Association (OMEA) State Large Group Band Adjudicated Event, held May 1–2 at Findlay High School.

This achievement marks the third time in the past eight years that Eastwood has earned a Superior rating at the state level, and the first time the band has done so in Class B since 1993. The ensemble qualified for state competition by earning a Superior (I) rating at the district level on March 13.

According to OMEA, a Superior rating of “I” is awarded for “an outstanding performance, with very few technical errors and exemplifying musical expression. This rating is reserved for the truly outstanding performance.”

At the State Large Group event, bands perform three prepared pieces for a panel of three judges. One selection must come from the OMEA required music list, which determines the ensemble’s class based on difficulty. A new selection from this list is required at the state level. Each judge assigns a rating from I to V, with I being the highest.

Following the prepared performance, ensembles participate in a sight-reading evaluation. Bands are given a previously unseen piece of music and have four minutes for individual study and four minutes of director instruction before performing it. A fourth judge evaluates the sight-reading performance, also using the I–V scale. The four ratings are then averaged to determine a final composite score.

Eastwood received Superior (I) ratings from all three judges on its prepared pieces, as well as a Superior (I) rating in sight-reading, earning the highest possible overall rating.

The Eastwood High School Concert Band is comprised of 50 student musicians and is directed by Brian Myers and Jonathan Roode.