For the Gladden Middle School Warrior, this has been a very memorable year. March 13, 2024, the Gladden Middle School Band participated in the Annual Georgia Music Educator's Association Large Group Performance Evaluation for the first time in 18 years at Woodland High School, in Cartersville, GA.
The festival is a state and district level performance based evaluation of bands all across the State of Georgia each year. Judging criteria is based on tone, intonation, balance, technique, and musicality.
Each band performs 3 musical selections based on the state approved list. 3 judges are present during the performance evaluation of each band. The judging ratings are on a 5 point rubric scale. 1 = Superior 2 = Excellent 3 = Good 4 = Fair 5 = Poor
We are so happy and excited to share that this year, the Gladden Middle School Warrior 7th and 8th Grade Concert Band received all Superior Ratings in all captions at the Large Group Performance Evaluation.
The bus erupted with smiles, screams, and tears of joy when I announced the scores on the bus that afternoon. I was so proud of every single band member for all of their hard-work, dedication, practice, commitment, and buying into a festival that none of them had ever attended. They were so nervous but they played their hearts out on stage that afternoon.
Mr. Burns had a 3 word motto from January through March = Faith, Believe, and Achieve that was often used in rehearsals to keep the kids focused on what they were working towards. Band is a huge team. No one is on the sideline, it truly takes everyone and every section to unite, come together, and perform the music from the heart.
The Gladden Middle School Band will close out the 2023-2024 school year with their Spring Concert on Thursday, May 16, 2024 in the GMS Gym. An Encore Performance of the Festival Music will be presented, and then 3 new songs will be performed with the combination of Coker, Spring Place, and Chatsworth Elementary 6th Grade Bands. Also, a Silent Cake Auction will take place in the gym prior to the start of the concert. Admission is FREE and OPEN to the Public, and we would love to see you all there for this outstanding end of the year concert.
Congratulations to the Gladden Middle School Warrior Concert Band on their earnings of Superior Ratings this year.
Respectfully Submitted,
Mr. Greg Burns, Gladden Middle School Band Director