CHS band member Grace O’Brien plays the flute. 

The Catholic High School band earned four “excellent” ratings out of four total ratings at its first-ever competition one and a half years after its inception.

The band competed against almost 50 other middle and high school bands from throughout the region in the Southwest Louisiana Band Director’s Association Large Ensemble Music Performance Assessment, where 36 of the 65 band students performed, CHS band director Christian Bautista said.

Bautista said the band competed as a high school band even though almost all of the students in the performance were in middle school and had been playing for one and a half years or less.

“We naturally had the option to allow only seventh and eighth grade to compete in the group so that we could be classified as a middle school, but it was more important to me that we give all of our students this experience rather than shooting for a certain score or rating,” he said.

Bautista said the difficulty of music that was performed at the district festival was prescribed by the state for Catholic High’s size based on the automatic assumption that students would have been playing for five to seven years, on average, because it competed as a high school.

The band performed “Atlantis” by Anne McGinty, “A Song of Hope” by James Swearingen and “Imperium” by Michael Sweeney for the competition. The band also had to perform one piece the students had never seen before for the sight-reading competition, where the band scored its fourth “excellent” rating, Bautista said.

“Ultimately, the ratings are lagniappe. The important thing is that students have meaningful musical experiences and learn the value of the pursuit of excellence in music and in life,” Bautista said. “If we get good ratings along the way then that’s a bonus.”

Students definitely were excited about earning the ratings, which are the second-highest ratings obtainable in the competion, Bautista said, and the experience of participating in the larger musical community was rewarding to them as well.

“The understanding that they are part of an effort larger than themselves that represents their school is just as important for the program’s growth as anything else,” he said.

Catholic High School Principal Ray Simon said he attended the competition and witnessed the band’s “crisp and appropriate” performance.

“They have been outstanding in the things that they have done. It’s been a real excitement for Catholic High,” he said. “It was unexpected and unprecedented. It’s been a dream for people here since Catholic High has been a school to have a band.”

Simon said this is the first true band that has been formed at the school, and he hopes to see it continue to grow.

“Being in band is a positive experience, and there is a great positive correlation to academic performance,” he said. “They play quality music, they can read music and they’re learning what you would want music students to learn.”

Bautista said the school is exploring the first steps toward creating a marching band for next year and is considering playing at football games and marching in some parades. He said it will require a large investment in time and resources, but he said he believes the students and the school are capable of the task.

“This is a big shift in the direction of the program and next year will possibly bring several new performing opportunities to CHS students,” he said.