Melbourne School Bands Festival
The Melbourne School Bands/Strings Festival is a two week program where school bands mainly from metropolitan Melbourne, Australia, as well as country Victoria and interstate, gather to perform, listen and participate in tutorials. The Festival has an education focus. All ensembles receive either a Gold, Silver, Bronze, Merit or Participation shield. The festival is produced and sponsored by Billy Hyde Music Foundation.
In 2008, the Festival's 20th anniversary, over 300 concert bands, jazz ensembles and string ensembles performed at the Robert Blackwood Concert Hall and School of Music Auditorium, Monash University. Since the inception of the festival in 1989 the number of students electing to learn an instrument through their school music program has increased substantially. The festival is now one of Australia's most prestigious musical events for school musicians.
The festival is designed to support and develop instrumental music education. Not only do students have the opportunity to perform at Australia's finest venues (acoustic-wise), but they receive adjudication from an outstanding panel of adjudicators.
The festival runs for two weeks until the Festival Finale on the last Saturday of August. The Finale showcases the most outstanding ensembles from the Festival and features the distribution of the awards.
Ensemble categories
Concert Bands
- Training Concert Band
- Novice Concert Band
- Junior Concert Band
- Intermediate Concert Band
- Symphonic Band
Jazz Ensembles
- Junior Jazz Ensemble
- Intermediate Jazz Ensemble
- Senior Jazz Ensemble
String Ensembles
- Beginner String Group
- Junior String Orchestra
- Senior String Orchestra
- Symphony Orchestra
- String Ensemble
Chief Adjudicators
Concert Bands
- 1989: Col. John Bourgeois, United States Marine Band, USA
- 1990: Col. John Bourgeois, United States Marine Band, USA
- 1991: Dr. Wayne Bennet, University of Oregon, USA
- 1992: James Swearingen, Composer, USA
- 1993: Col. John Bourgeois, United States Marine Band, USA
- 1994: Dr. Francis McBeth, Ouachita University, Arkansas, USA
- 1995: Dr. Barry Kopetz, University of Utah, USA
- 1996: Dr. Barry Kopetz, University of Utah, USA
- 1997: Ed Huckeby, Composer, USA
- 1998: Dr. Ben Hawkins, Transylvania University, Kentucky, USA
- 1999: Ms. Paula A Crider, The University of Texas, USA
- 2000: Dr. Rob McWilliams, University of Wisconsin, Oshkosh, USA
- 2001: Mr. Richard L Floyd, University of Texas, Austin, USA
- 2002: Mr. Robert W Smith, Composer, USA
- 2003: Mr. Ken Waterworth, Australia
- 2004: Mr. John M Laverty, Syracause University, USA
- 2005: Ms. Paula A Crider, The University of Texas, USA
- 2006: Mr. Thomas V Fraschillo, University of Southern Mississippi, USA
- 2007: Mr. Jeff King, USA
- 2008: Mr. Don Wilcox, West Virginia University (ret.), USA
Jazz Ensembles
- 1997: Mr. Gil Askey, USA
- 1998: Mr. Jeff Jervis, USA
- 1999: Mr. Doug Beach, Elmhurst College, Illinois, USA
- 2000: Mr. Daryl McKenzie, Australia
- 2001: Mr. Reg Walsh, Australia
- 2002: Mr. Patrick Crichton, WAAPA, Australia
- 2003: Mr. J Richard Dunscombe, Composer, USA
- 2004: Mr. Monte H Mumford, Australia
- 2005: Mr. Steve Newcomb, Australia
- 2006: Mr. Dean Sorenson, University of Minnesota, USA
- 2007: Mr. Victor Lopez, USA
- 2008: Mr. Brad Millard, Queensland University of Technology, Australia
String Ensembles
- 2000: Mr. Michael Loughlin, Australia
- 2001: Mr. Willem van der Vis, Australia
- 2002: Ms. Andrea Keeble, Australia
- 2003: Mr. Peter Bandy, Australia
- 2004: Ms. Christine Belshaw, Australia
- 2005: Mr. Mark Drummond, Australia
- 2006: Ms. Kim Waldock, Australia
- 2007: Ms. Loreta Fin, Australia
- 2008: Mr. Malcolm Yuen, Australia
External links