Flat Rock bands wow judges, get all ‘superior’ ratings

All three Flat Rock Middle School Bands received straight superior ratings on a recent statewide evaluation.

Equivalent to the Georgia Milestones testing, the Band LGPE (Large Group Performance Evaluation), sponsored by the Georgia Music Education Association, evaluates bands on musical performance and sight-reading abilities.  Bands can earn grades of superior, excellent, good, and poor with “superior” denoting a performance in the top percentile of ensembles.

During the evaluation, students perform three prepared pieces for a panel of three expert judges who provide feedback and suggestions for improvement.

Students are also required to perform a sight-reading of a piece they have never seen; they are given only six minutes of study time prior to the performance. The band performs the piece, from beginning to end without stopping, for a rating from a fourth judge.

“It is truly a full assessment of the musical skills being taught every day in each band room,” said Flat Rock Middle Band Director Matthew Price.