The 2022 Cleveland Wind Symphony first and foremost had an absolutely beautiful and expressive performance on the stage of the 2022 OSAA State Band Championships on May 14th. When we stepped off that stage, I was sure that we had created a lasting memory regardless of any outcomes. The band then went into the second stage of the contest and performed a sight reading piece with an amazing amount of musicality and expression. You could sense the satisfaction in the ensemble, yet there was still that question that came from several…was that good enough? My quick response was that they had just done what no band at Cleveland had ever done. Trophies had not been awarded yet, but I knew that I had just stood in front of two of the best Cleveland HS performances EVER!!!
As we heard them announce that Cleveland HS had earned 5th place I had many thoughts race through my head. I thought about my supportive wife, who puts up with my crazy schedule, keeps me grounded and (best of all) was able to join me. I thought of all of the parents that have been so supportive of their child and the program. I thought of the two Cleveland HS administrators that came to support our students and witnessed this historic event. I thought of the middle school band directors that do so much to prepare these kids for their high school experience. And of course, I thought about the incredible work and dedication put forth by the students themselves.
As it turns out, the performance they had in the sight reading room was the difference maker. As I looked at the results carefully, Cleveland was in 7th place when they left the stage to go to sight reading. In the sight reading room, Cleveland ended up in 4th place. The two bands we passed to move to 5th were 12 and 7 points lower than Cleveland in the sight reading room.
The Cleveland Wind Ensemble not only made history for Cleveland’s band program, but they became the first PPS band to place in the top 5 in the history of the State Band Contest which began in 1987. This group of students made history for the largest school district in the state.
The following people deserve recognition for helping develop this group:
- Scott Johnston - Hosford MS
- Dan Arrayan - Sellwood MS (retired)
- Every Cleveland HS Wind Ensemble parent/guardian!
- Private instructors of many of our members.
- Friends of Cleveland Band ($$ for coaches, clinicians, instruments, treats, t-shirts, etc.)
- Clinicians: Stuart Welsh (West Albany HS), Pat Vandehey (PSU), Chuck Bolton (retired), Dave Matthys (retired), Dan Foster (retired).
I also want to extend a special thank you to our principal (JoAnne Wadkins) and one of our Vice Principals (Danielle Cota) for taking the time to travel to OSU and witness our performance and recognition. Our large contingent of family and friends was also impressive!
Musically Yours,
Gary Riler
