The Arkansas School for Mathematics, Sciences and the Arts Wind Ensemble achieved its first overall Superior rating in Concert Assessment in school history during the Arkansas School Band and Orchestra Region II Concert Contest.
This was only the second time in its history that ASMSA’s band has participated in the Concert Assessment, the first being in Spring 2022. The Wind Ensemble also earned a Superior rating in the sight-reading category. It was the second year in a row the group received the top rating in that category. The contest was held March 9 at Lake Hamilton High School.
ASMSA’s Region II performance earned a Sweepstakes Award that qualified it to compete at the state competition which will be held April 12 at Cabot High School. It will be the first time the school will participate in the state competition where the Wind Ensemble will compete against other Class 3A programs from across Arkansas.
“The students have shown dedication and true patience to fine-tune our performance works and to bring their best to each performance this year,” said Dr. Thomas Dempster, the Wind Ensemble’s director. “For the students, this is a great achievement, particularly for those many students in the ensemble who have never taken part in a Concert Assessment performance. This is also special for our seniors, many of whom did not take part in an in-person assessment at their sending schools prior to ASMSA.
“This accomplishment is a benchmark for the music program — and the students know it and realize it, and it creates a stand I aspire to maintain year to year. For them, scoring Superiors on stage and on sight-reading is even sweeter because they’ll be forever attached to the program as the first band to ever achieve that here in the school’s 30-year history.”
There are five levels of ratings a band may earn from its performance at an assessment competition with Superior being the highest rating. Schools earn a Sweepstakes Award for earning Superior ratings in both the concert and sight-reading categories. Dempster credited the Sweepstakes Award to the band members’ dedication to learning pieces that may be considered more advanced than they may have played before.
“It’s a great reflection on the students, their talent, their abilities and their work ethic. We did not opt as an ensemble to take an easier path: we played music that is far more advanced than what a 3A band would typically take to assessment. We played a concert of music that is closer in spirit and difficulty to what 5A, 6A and 7A programs will take in front of judges,” Dempster said.
ASMSA will take part in the ranking system as well as the regular scoring system at the state competition. The group will be ranked in comparison to other 3A programs from across the state participating in the competition. Dempster said regardless of the results it will reflect the progress the school has made since he joined the faculty as the school’s first full-time music instructor and band director in 2018.
“Bear in mind that we have no traditional ‘feeder school.’ We get students from all across the state with varying skill levels, and we give them the tools, space and encouragement to truly excel, regardless of their background. It’s my hope that this achievement shows the rest of the state that the music program is strong and that we will provide apt challenges and opportunities for all student musicians,” Dempster said.