1,500 BCSD band students play in 17th annual Standards Festival
BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KGET) — The show is on for the 17th annual Band and Orchestra Standards Festival.
About 1,500 junior high and middle school students from Bakersfield City School District showed their progress and passion for performing arts. What started as a simple decision among friends became something natural for Pierce Blind.
“I was going to play trumpet, but then one of my friends played trumpet, so I just decided to play saxophone,” said Blind. “I think I’m the best one that goes to my school. I’m the best player, I just… I feel really good, yeah.”
Blind grew to appreciate the uniqueness of the saxophone.
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“It’s like, deep. It has a deep voice so it kinda like, carries the whole band,” said Blind.
Three adjudicators from around the state assessed students’ performance and provided clinics to each ensemble after their performance to further help them improve. Beyond just being an elective, music has become a part of students’ lives.
“Music in my life has been a wonderful experience,” said Melanny Rodriguez, a flutist. “Music makes me feel like it’s its own language, and I have learned another language I properly learned since [I was] young.”
Plus, the students say the friendships they made through music are forever.
“Just generally, like, connecting with all of my other classmates,” said Melanny Rodriguez. “Like, just learning how they play, like, connecting our tone together”
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