SAN JOSE, CALIF.—On March 5, 2025, the Silver Creek High School band participated in the District Music Festival at Evergreen High School.

This tri-annual event brought together high schools from the local district, including Andrew Hill, Santa Teresa, Oak Grove, Evergreen and Mt. Pleasant, all of whom performed at the festival held in Evergreen’s auditorium.

The festival offered the opportunity for musicians to receive expert feedback on their performances. The adjudicators for the event were John Burn and UC Berkeley alumni Matthew Sedowski. Their roles were to assess the bands and offer positive reinforcement and constructive criticism aimed at helping the groups grow.

The festival’s judging focused primarily on two key aspects: intonation, which refers to how well a pitch is in tune, and accuracy, which measures the precision and clarity of each performance. During the performances, the judges provided live commentary, sharing their insights and feedback, which would later be sent as recordings for each participating school.

For many musicians, constructive criticism can be a powerful tool for improvement. Burn and Sedowski’s feedback aimed to pinpoint strengths, like Silver Creek’s strong air support and rhythm, while also pointing out areas to refine. According to Burn, the band displayed a powerful air flow and solid pacing. Sedowski, however, noted that while there were moments of strong articulation, some sections had distinct “tah,” “tee” and “toh” sounds that could benefit from more consistency across the group.

As a crucial element of the band’s performance, articulation helps shape the sound, ensuring that each note and phrase is executed in a unified manner. Band conductors guide these elements, working closely with musicians to increase accuracy in their renditions of pieces.

The acoustics of the Evergreen auditorium proved to be a major advantage for the bands. The venue’s superior sound quality compared to the more intimate setting of Silver Creek’s band room allowed the students to experience their music in a new light, providing both an opportunity to shine and a challenge to maintain precision.

Silver Creek’s first piece, “Flourish for Wind Band” by Ralph Vaughan Williams, was a slow, deliberate piece requiring significant concentration. Its bombastic rhythm, driven by heavy brass, contrasted beautifully with the softer woodwind passages, creating an energizing and captivating atmosphere. Their second piece, “Toccata for Band,” offered a different challenge. Known for its fast tempo and intricate patterns, “Toccata” tested the band’s precision and speed.

Following their performance, Silver Creek received a recording of the adjudicators’ feedback, which praised their powerful air and performance intensity. Sedowski’s critique emphasized the need for more uniform articulation. The visual communication between the conductor and band members, particularly during “Flourish,” was another highlight of the judges’ remarks, leaving a lasting impression on the audience.

The district festival served not only as a platform for feedback but also as preparation for Silver Creek’s upcoming concert on March 27. For this performance, the band will incorporate new pieces into their repertoire, including “Diamond Tide” by Viet Cuong, “Children’s March” by Percy Aldridge Grainger and “Halcyon Hearts” by Katari Copley.

While “Children’s March” was considered for the festival, it was not ready for the performance. The difficulty of the piece required more practice before it could be performed. As Sedowski and Burn noted, achieving perfection takes time, and no piece is truly “ready” until it’s polished to 100% of its potential. Silver Creek continues to work and honing their craft one practice session at a time, with a shared commitment to excellence.

The District Music Festival was an invaluable experience for Silver Creek’s band, providing both recognition for their hard work and actionable feedback to guide their ongoing development. The performance showcased their precision, passion and dedication, all of which will no doubt contribute to an even stronger concert later this month.