During the Concert portion of the competition, bands are judged on tuning, musicianship, rhythmic stability, and their ability to play an intricate piece of music. During the Sight Reading portion of the competition the students and director are given a piece of music they have never seen before. They are allowed to practice it silently and then count through the piece. They then play the piece for the first, and only time, for the judges who critique on how musically literate that band is.

Heritage Middle School Head Band Director, David Biel, said the bands begin preparing for very early on.

“It really begins when the students are in sixth grade,” Biel said. “Everything we do prepares children for a well-rounded education and to perform for an audience. We never take a Sweepstakes award for granted and it is always a mark of excellence to achieve every year.”

Terra Vista Middle School Head Band Director, Roel Sanchez said working with Frenship Middle School and Heritage Middle School is what makes competition season so special.

“We work as a team and have all experienced massive success,” Sanchez said. “Then the students move to high school where they will continue that because of the cohesive process we use in middle school.”

Sanchez said he tries to get across to this band students that being in band is all about being a team, listening to each other, and growing together.

“Band is different than the sports that many of these students are used to,” Sanchez said. “There is no failure mechanism in band like there is in sports. In baseball you get three strikes, in football you get four downs, but in band you get one try to get it right. You have to be prepared.”

Biel said this year was even more important for his students than any other year. During a normal school year, they have performed several in-person, public performances, but this year was different.

“This year was important because, rarely, this was the first public performance of our students,” Biel said. “For a middle school child to be put under the lights, and under so much pressure, and to then perform so well is so special. We had a lot of emotion when we found out we received a Sweepstakes award this year. Tears were streaming down the kids’ faces. I think it was because they could finally do what they wanted to do, and that was just be a band kid.”