On the weekend of May 8, St. Dominic’s music students earned several awards during Music in the Parks, a national music festival that took place in Cincinnati, Ohio. The music department has been attending this competition for nearly 20 years, performing in front of professional judges for evaluation.

The group, headed by Mr. Cissell, departed early Friday morning, making a pit stop at the University of Dayton on the way. The jazz band, concert band and choir had the opportunity to attend a clinic at the college with music professors who gave feedback and advice to each group. In addition, the students received a tour of the school’s music building. These college visits are a requirement for the annual trip, as they help students to see possible career opportunities in the music field.

The next day, everyone was shuttled to Loveland Middle School, where the students showcased their musical abilities in front of the judges. Once they finished their performances, they headed to King’s Island, a popular theme park in Cincinnati where the awards ceremony would take place. After a fun-filled day of riding roller coasters, playing games and eating over-priced food, the St. Dominic group reconvened at the park’s amphitheater, where they anxiously awaited their results.

For a competition, the judges take every aspect of each performance into consideration when evaluating each group. They listen for everything from basic dynamics to intonation, then award points for different categories of skill. These points determine the overall rating of the group: Superior, Excellent, or Good. Then, based upon those scores, groups are ranked and awarded trophies according to where they placed in their class.

After much suspense, the results were announced. The St. Dominic concert band placed third in their category, falling short of first by a mere 1.3%. Choir received second, and they, too, were just a percent away from taking first place. The jazz band, directed by Mr. Larry Johnson, earned the highest rating and they walked away proudly displaying their first place trophy.

“I thought everybody did very well. It was a high Excellent on the band and the other two groups got Superiors, so I can’t ask for anything more than that,” Cissell said.

In addition, two St. Dominic students received special recognition during the ceremony. Senior Lindsey Standen received a medal for being the “Best Student Accompanist” on piano. Freshman Wyatt Forhan was also given an award for having the “Best Jazz Solo” of the competition.

To top it off, St. Dominic also won the Esprit de Corps. This is the highest honor anyone can earn at one of these festivals; it recognizes a group’s enthusiasm, politeness and overall devotion to music and each other. Only one school, regardless of class or talent, can have the privilege of earning this award.

“It was really neat getting the Esprit de Corps. We got that my first year and it was really cool getting it again,”said junior Tim Stout.

With all of their success on this trip, students are looking forward to next year, and preparations are already underway. Under the guidance of Mr. Cissell and Mr. Johnson, combined with a talented student body, St. Dominic is sure to continue to leave its mark on the music world.