HHS Performing Arts Department Captures Top Prize at Heritage Festival

Over 180 members of the Harrison High School Performing Arts Program competed at the National 2015 Heritage Festival in Washington DC and received the award for Outstanding Overall Performance by a School.

Heritage Music Festivals are conducted across the United States and Canada from Anaheim to Williamsburg. A panel of three adjudicators judge high school performing arts groups on a stringent rubric of criteria that allow students to receive instructive feedback to help improve performance. The Harrison High School group, consisting of members of the orchestra, band, percussion, chorus, dance, marching band color guard, and majorettes took home the following individually adjudicated awards by discipline:

Marching Band ( Gold)
Percussion Ensemble ( Gold)
Dance Ensemble (Gold)
Concert Band (Silver)
Orchestra (Silver)
Color Guard (Silver)
Majorettes (Silver)
Chorus (Bronze)
Maestro Award for Outstanding Soloist - HHS senior Sydney Reingold (Dance)
Adjudicator’s Award - Dance Ensemble
Adjudicator’s Award - Percussion Ensemble
Sweepstakes Award for Outstanding Instrumental Program

In addition to performing at the festival, the students participated in workshops held at nearby venues. Top music educators engaged Harrison’s students on their upcoming performances, working on specifics such as intonation, phrasing and technique.

While in the DC area, Harrison High School students were also able to explore the Capitol Building in Downtown DC, take a nighttime tour of the Nation’s monuments, view the majestic Arlington National Cemetery, and tour the Steven F. Udvar-Hazy National Air and Space Museum in Chantilly, Virginia.