What happens when you put talented school-age musicians from around the Keys together, put them under the direction of a talented clinician and give them one working day to stage a concert? You get the Monroe All-County Band Concert!
Last Saturday, those talented school-age musicians came to Marathon from all the middle and high schools and blew the doors off the Marathon Middle/High School auditorium. These musicians did a fine job representing their individual schools: Sugarloaf School, Horace O’Bryant, Plantation Key School, Key Largo School, Sigsbee Charter, Coral Shores High, Key West High and Marathon Middle/High School.
The middle school clinician was Rich Ervin, a musician with Walt Disney World and a bassoonist with the Bach Festival Society Orchestra in Winter Park. He has worked with more than 1,600 bands from around the world. Ervin is also the bassoon instructor for Rollins College.
The high school clinician was Dave Schrier, assistant director of bands at UCF, as well as assistant director and principal conductor for the UCF Concert Band. He is a sought-after clinician and instructor, having plied his talents all over America and around the world.
How they stage this concert so quickly is amazing. The clinicians meet with their bands, many of which have never played together — and they’ve never rehearsed the pieces they’re going to play. The clinician works with the bands and their directors to basically create something beautiful out of the controlled chaos of a school band. One long nine-hour day of rehearsal prepares them to perform a selection of varied and complex pieces.
Although I’m sure there were some cases of nerves, the students were poised and acted professionally as their clinician conductors raised their batons and led them down the road through their chosen compositions. I wasn’t sure what to expect — but I really didn’t expect the level of musicianship and composure I saw coming off that stage. The musicians worked as a team, each one sure of their own parts as they came together and made beautiful music.
Of course, these students didn’t get selected for the all-county band without the help of their individual band directors: Joe Dallas at Sugarloaf, Crystal Hendricks at HOB, Katharine Yarbrough at PKS, Suzanne Gagliardini at Coral Shores, Gary Hernandez at Key West, Spencer Oyster at Marathon, Susan Bazin at Key Largo and Chuck Brooker at Sigsbee. These instructors had already brought their student musicians to the level where they could pull off such an amazing concert.
It’s really good to see that the Monroe County School District has such a good music program. Music education is an important part of a student’s overall education. As it has been said, “Music helps develop the student behind the (test) score.” Music enhances students’ abilities and skills in creativity, collaboration, communication and critical thinking. In these strange and stupid days where arts education funding is threatened every budget cycle, it’s a good thing to show our support of a robust music and arts education system here in the Keys.
Most of the music I play is either solo or in a small group. That’s why it’s always such a treat to hear a large ensemble all work together, in unison and harmony, and create a joyful noise.
Music is meant to be played and enjoyed live. A concert can’t exist without musicians and an audience — it’s a shared event where both come together and create an experience both beautiful and ephemeral. Unlike a painting or a sculpture, music only exists at the time it’s being performed and experienced.
In these strange and stupid days, when music has become a commodity, a noise relegated to the background of our lives, it’s really good to dedicate the time to appreciate good live music. Special thanks to my Take Stock student and Marathon High band musician, Dakota Mertyris, for inviting us to see this fabulous show. Support the arts and support live music of all genres. It truly does soothe the savage breast.
– Catch John Mondays at Boondocks, Tuesdays and Wednesdays at the Key Colony Inn, Thursdays at Sparky’s Landing, and Fridays on Facebook Live. Music available wherever you get your streaming or downloads. www.johnbartus.com
