Spotlight on the Arts: WTSBOA Spring Performances

April 21, 2023
|In Haywood County Schools, Haywood High School
|By Brian Ingram

March was a busy time for the Sunny Hill and Haywood High School Bands.  On Sunday, March 5th the Sunny Hill 6th Grade Band and Haywood High School Band had a pre-Festival Concert at the High School.  They each played the two numbers they were to play at this year’s West Tennessee School Band and Orchestra Association (WTSBOA) Concert Festival.

At the WTSBOA Concert Festival, a band performs two prepared numbers in front of three judges, and in the sight-reading room, they are given an opportunity to play a number that they have never seen before in front of a fourth judge.  This type of event has the bands competing against their toughest competition – themselves.  The judges assess participants with a rating from 1 to 5 on 29 separate sub-categories with a 1 (Superior Rating) being the highest.  The Sunny Hill 6th grade Band earned 3 ratings of “Good” in concert and a rating of “Excellent” in sight-reading.  The Haywood High School Band earned 3 ratings of “Excellent” in concert and a rating of “Excellent” in sight-reading.

The Sunny Hill Beginner Band, The Sunny Hill 6th Grade Band, and the Haywood High School Band also traveled to the University of Tennessee at Martin to participate in the WTSBOA Concert Solo & Ensemble.  A total of 49 students from Haywood County Schools participated in 34 small ensemble events.  The results are as follows:

Sunny Hill Beginner Band

  • 21 – Superior ratings
  • 14 – Excellent ratings
  • 9 – Good ratings

Sunny Hill 6th Grade Band

  • 10 – Superior ratings
  • 1 – Excellent rating
  • 2 – Good ratings

Haywood High School

  • 16 – Superior ratings
  • 5 – Good ratings

Medals were awarded to all participants earning a rating of Superior or Excellent. In total, the three bands brought home 62 medals!

The Sunny Hill and Haywood High School bands will be finishing up their 2022-23 performances with separate Spring Concerts. The Haywood High Spring Concert will be Sunday, April 30th at 2:30 p.m. in the Haywood High School Gymnasium and the Sunny Hill Spring Concert will be held on Thursday, May 11th at 6:00 p.m. in the Sunny Hill Gymnasium. Kudos to Band Director – Van Wadley and the band members from Sunny Hill and Haywood High for an outstanding year!