Sigurd Johnson, associate professor of music, recently was an adjudicator for the 31st annual Optimist Band Festival in Winnipeg, Manitoba.
During the event, held Feb. 17-20, Johnson listened to and worked with nearly 60 concert bands. The festival features school bands from Manitoba, Ontario, Saskatchewan and, this year, one band from Mandan High School in Mandan N.D. There are also a small number of community bands that participate.
According to Johnson, the bands present a short program for a panel of three judges, who rate the band on such things as quality of sound, musicality and correct notes. Each band then gets a short clinic with one of the judges.
“Some bands compete in this festival for awards and trophies, while other bands use the opportunity to perform for comments and the ensuing clinic alone,” Johnson said. “There is a very wide range of band size and quality at the festival – from very advanced and accomplished groups to younger and much smaller bands.”