For the first time in MLWGS history, the school received a VMEA Blue Ribbon Award. This award, endowed by the Virginia Music Educators Association, is the highest award a school music program can receive. To qualify for the award, all music disciplines in the school must receive an overall “Superior” rating at their assessments, which is the highest score possible. The overall score is derived from three judges that listen to the main selection of pieces, and one judge who listens to the groups sight-read a piece. The MLWGS band, chorus, and orchestra all received this distinction at their respective assessments this past month. 

The Intermediate and Advanced Orchestra combined programs for their assessment at Hanover High School on March 8, 2024. The group performed “Intermezzo” (Mascagni arr. Labrie), “Themes from the Moldau” (Grieg), and “Andalusian Adventure” (Donahoe). David Dong (‘27), a member of the intermediate orchestra, did not feel nervous coming into the performance. Afterward, Dong noted that his classmates seemed “relieved that it was over” after months of preparation since the end of the Winter Concert. 

The Artist Orchestra performed “Cantabile” (Tchaikovsky arr. McCashin), “Holberg Suite” Movements 1, 2, and 5 (Grieg), and “Concerto in B Minor for 4 Violins” (Vivaldi). The difficulty of their music falls under the category of Grade VI, which is the highest difficulty groups can play. Maggie Walker’s Artist Orchestra was the only group to perform Grade VI music at this year’s assessment. Katie Watson (‘25) described her pre-performance emotions as “apprehensive” because of the “big solo moments” and other tricky spots in their music. Upon sitting down on the stage, however, she felt that everything turned out to be just fine. 

Since the end of the Winter Concert, the preparation for assessment for the orchestra extended beyond the classroom. Watson mentioned that there were several out-of-school or lunch rehearsals, along with guest conductors and professional musicians coming to the school to assist their rehearsals. The band also worked outside of the classroom, taking a field trip to VCU to play with the VCU Wind Ensemble. Watson performed at both the Artist Orchestra and band assessment, relaying her “excitement” and “honor” to be a part of two of the four ensembles that made the Blue Ribbon award possible.

The Intermediate and Advanced Band combined programs for their performance at Glen Allen High School on March 16, 2024. The group performed “His Honor” (Henry Fillmore), “Corsican Litany” (Vaclav Nelhybel), and “Metroplex” (Robert Sheldon). Vera Chunnanond (‘26), a member of the Advanced Band, joyfully recounted her worries, describing how she forgot her trombone at home. Other than that, Chunnanond didn’t feel nervous about the performance. After the performance, Chunnanond felt “a little disappointed,” an emotion that quickly reversed when she found out that the band had received straight “ones.” 

The chorus performed “Music, When Soft Voices Die” (Victor C. Johnson) and “Nothin’ Gonna Stumble My Feet” (John Parker) at St. Christopher’s School on March 20th, 2024. This was the first chorus performance at assessment. Sarah Douglewicz (‘25) noted that “preparing for assessments was very different from when we normally prepare for concerts,” recounting that they spent “a lot longer going over the pieces” and “moving around on the risers until [they] sounded best.” For the first time, the Chorus also practiced group sight-reading, one of the graded components of assessment. 

Going into the performance, Douglewicz stated that they all felt nervous, but overall confident that they would do well. Like Dong and his classmates felt after their assessment, Douglewicz and her classmates also felt “relieved that it was over,” and “couldn’t wait to see their scores.” Just like the band and chorus had done in the prior weeks, the Chorus also received a “Superior” rating, ultimately securing the Blue Ribbon Award for MLWGS. After being asked about final comments on the performance, Douglewicz paid tribute to Ms. Snyder, the chorus teacher, stating that “there’s no way we could’ve gotten all ‘ones’ without her.” 

March was a very successful month for the Maggie Walker Music Department. With Youth and Art Music Month performances at the start of the month and a Blue Ribbon Award at the end, MLWGS music students all worked hard to make Maggie Walker deserving of this award.