Schools
Seekonk High School Musicians Took a Cruise, Won National Award
Seekonk High School student musicians were awarded a high honor from a national organization.
Student musicians at Seekonk High School - with teacher John Smialek at the helm - have won the Grand Championship Award for wind ensembles at the 2011 Cruise Festivals.
Though the student group performed at the festival in the spring, notification about the national award was given at the beginning of August at the conclusion of the competition, which takes place aboard cruise ships around the country from January to July. According to the Cruise Festivals press release, the award signifies the highest score overall from over 50 cruises, each with multiple bands performing.
In addition to the Grand Championship Award, five students won outstanding soloist awards: Leah Voccio on clarinet, Brandon Baddin on trombone, Allison Cote on flute, David Orleck on trumpet and Grace Belt on oboe. Students also won an outstanding section award for Percussion. That group included Ally Whitelaw, Ashley Rodrigues, Myles Ascolese, Holly Shillan, Sarah Faulkner and Allison Cinq-Mars.
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In late spring, SHS musicians won another award with their symphonic band. Out of 100 points they received a 97 at the Great East Festival earning them the highest award - the Platinum Award - something Smialek says is “pretty hard to do.” Nonethless, the Seekonk students have won the award for five years in a row.
Smialek’s trick has been to challenge the students to learn pieces that are on the level usually reserved for college-aged bands. For competitions this year the students performed complicated pieces by composers Ralph Vaughan Williams and Robert Sheldon.
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“I’ve just been tremendously lucky with the quality of kids we have in Seekonk,” says Smialek. “It seems like there’s no limit to what we can do with these guys.”
For those who have yet to see this group of talented kids perform, your chance is coming. The band has commissioned a piece by nationally known composer Andrew Boysen. He’ll be writing something specifically for the students to perform in April of next year in honor of .
