Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...

A total of 17 schools from around the country sent their concert bands, choirs and orchestras to Boston this past weekend, competing for a national title. And in the end, Fuqua School Concert Band was one of those that brought home a trophy. 

Fuqua competed at the WorldStrides Heritage Festival, a national performing arts event. Held this year in Boston, the event does more than test skills. Students are evaluated by expert introductions in their field and given feedback to work on. From those 17 schools, 21 choirs, orchestras and bands took part this time around. Fuqua earned a first place trophy for their division, Class 1A. 

“This experience gave our students the chance to grow not only as musicians but also as individuals,” said Fuqua School Concert Band Director Tyler Gage. “They represented Fuqua with pride, and we’re incredibly proud of their performance and professionalism throughout the trip.”
Under the direction of Gage and Assistant Director Sam Andrews, the band also received a Silver rating overall, an achievement that the director said reflects the talent, dedication, and discipline of the student musicians.

Fuqua School Concert Band goes to Boston

The WorldStrides competition is a four-day event, running this time from April 24 to April 27. In addition to competing, Fuqua’s band had a chance to learn from some of the best. They took part in a custom master class at the Boston Youth Symphony Orchestra Center, led by Mark Olson of Harvard University. That gave band members a chance to sharpen their skills and receive expert feedback ahead of the competition. 

But they did more than practice. Throughout the trip, Gage said the band explored some of Boston’s most iconic landmarks and cultural attractions. They went on a guided tour of the Freedom Trail and had lunch at Quincy Market, before attending a performance by the Blue Man Group at the Charles Playhouse. The following day included a Boston Duck Tour and an interactive lunch at Fire and Ice. On their final day, the students visited Salem, where they experienced a ghost tour and explored the historic town before heading to Melrose High School for the competition.

What is Concert Band? 

Gage said that the program is a year-round project for students from 9th grade up through graduation. 

“In the fall, we focus on marching and pep band for athletic events, as well as three traditional concert band performances, one of which is hosting the Town of Farmville’s Veterans Day Program,” Gage said. “We shift our focus to the competition program in the spring, and the year wraps up with a performance at our graduation ceremony.”

If you want to watch the group perform, you’ll have a chance next week. The band will be performing their Spring Concert on Friday, May 9. That’ll start at 6:30 p.m. on the campus of Fuqua School.