Outlaws musicians headed for State Festival

The Sisters High School Band will participate in the State Band Championships at the Oregon State University Music Department on Thursday May 11.

The honor is a first for Sister High School as well as for band director Jody Henderson.

Bands attending the State Band Festival must qualify by achieving a certain status at a league or district band festival sanctioned by the Oregon Schools Activities Association (OSAA) or the Oregon Music Educators Association (OMEA).

The SHS Band attended two such festivals: the Capital Conference Band Festival, and the Central Oregon Music Educators Band Festival.

Performances given by the SHS Band at both of those festivals qualified the band for the State Festival.

At OSAA/OMEA festivals, certified judges award up to 30 possible points in three categories: Quality of sound, Technique, Musicality, and up to 10 points in a fourth category of Other Factors pertaining to choice of music, appearance and manner presentation.

The OSAA/OMEA point system uses 100 points, but it is not equivalent to and should not be compared to the grading scale used in most school grading systems where a 70 (percent) is average.

To achieve 20 out of 30 points in any 30-point category means an ensemble has the correct approach in that category most of the time.

Most bands score between 16 and 23 points in each category, receiving total scores between 60 to 74 points of the 100 possible.

A total score of 75 or higher is considered "superior" in the rating system.

Any 3A band receiving this superior rating is automatically qualified for the State Festival.

The SHS Band was qualified for the State Festival by receiving superior ratings for both their league and district performance.

The band hopes to achieve the same superior rating on Thursday.