Viator band rated excellent in Disney World competition
St. Viator High School’s symphonic band scored a rating of excellent earlier this week from an esteemed panel of university music directors as part of Festival Disney.
Performing at the Premiere Theater on the back lot at Disney’s Hollywood Studios theme park, the St. Viator symphonic band impressed music professors from Florida State University, the University of South Carolina and the University of Notre Dame.
This was St. Viator’s second appearance at the Disney-produced competitive music festival, where they went up against concert bands from nearly a dozen high schools from across the country.
Dr. Kenneth Dye, director of bands at the University of Notre Dame, helped to launch the festival eight years ago, and he continues to be actively involved with it.
“This is a first-class educational experience,” Dye said. “Students get to perform in a world-class venue and get feedback from expert clinicians — and enjoy the parks.”
Approximately 55 band students traveled to Orlando, Fla., for the competition and performance tour. They played under the direction of Tom Seaman, St. Viator band director.
“The students showed me just how much they could step up,” Seaman said. “They played really, really well, and after having only three weeks to prepare.”
They opened their set with the march “Miss Liberty” by Karl King, included an emotional rendition of “Amazing Grace,” and closed with a dramatic performance of a difficult medley of familiar tunes, “Sailing Songs.”
After their competition performance, Dye worked with the band, smoothing their suspension in “Amazing Grace” and heightening their articulation in the sailors’ hornpipe section of “Sailing Songs.”
“What a fabulous job you did preparing for this,” Dye told the students.
Sophomore percussionist Carlee Smith from Bartlett took Dye’s counsel to heart, especially his advice aimed at the rhythm and low brass sections.
“He reminded us to listen to other parts of the band so that we all blend as one,” Smith said. “It’s advice we’ve heard before, but it always helps to hear it from someone else.”
St. Viator students performed a longer set the next day at the stage in the middle of Downtown Disney Marketplace, as tourists walked the main street venue just outside of the Disney parks. Performing in concert dress, the St. Viator musicians drew a rousing response with their closing number, a medley of music from the “Blues Brothers.”
Band members rounded out their trip with an instrumental workshop in a Disney recording studio, taping their own soundtrack to a Disney animated feature.
In between gigs, students visited the four Disney parks: Hollywood Studios, Epcot Center, the Magic Kingdom and Animal Kingdom, as well as Universal Studios.
“It was a really rewarding experience,” said sophomore saxophonist Joseph Lorenzini of Arlington Heights. “I think just being here at Disney and seeing all that they do with music will really help us in the future.”
Band members will reprise some of their Disney music in their Spring Arts Festival performance at 1 p.m. May 1 at St. Viator High School, 1213 E. Oakton St., Arlington Heights.