Logger High School Band brings home gold at prestigious Seattle Music Festival

The Libby Logger High School Concert Band brought home impressive hardware from their recent trip to Seattle, earning a Gold rating and second place overall among concert bands, in addition to the coveted Adjudicator Award at the WorldStrides Heritage Music Festival. 

The 23-member ensemble, directed by Patrick Lewis, performed two challenging pieces for a panel of distinguished judges at the esteemed competition, which featured bands from across the western United States and Canada.

"I couldn't be prouder of these students," said Lewis, who is in his first year as Libby's Band Director. "They've worked incredibly hard all year, practicing diligently on their pieces and their dedication really showed on stage."

The WorldStrides Heritage Music Festival, held annually in major cities throughout the United States, draws hundreds of school music programs and is known for its rigorous judging standards and educational focus.

"When they announced our name for the Gold rating, we all just erupted!" said one of the Libby students at the award banquet. "We knew we played well, but to earn Gold against so many larger schools was amazing."

A special highlight of the evening was when Troy student Dayton Johnson (who travels to Libby to play in the percussion section) was a runner-up, out of 336 students, to the distinguished Student Ovation Award that is meant to recognize individual students for not only their dedication to school and band but to their community as well.

In addition to their competition performance, students attended clinics with music professors from Gonzaga University and enjoyed educational tours of Seattle landmarks.

The Gold rating represents the highest level of achievement at the festival, awarded to ensembles demonstrating superior performance quality, technical proficiency and musical interpretation.

For many of the band members, the trip represented their first major competition outside Montana. 

The Libby High School Band students left the evening with their heads held high, and carried with them, not only the physical trophies but also one of three offered spots to attend the Festival of Gold held in Chicago or Nashville. 

Should they find the funding, they hope to attend within the next couple of years.  

As the band returns home, they remain eager to work on reaching the goals needed to go to the Festival of Gold and proud to have represented Libby High School with such success.

    Libby Middle High School concert band director Patrick Lewis holds the trophy the Loggers won during their recent trip to Seattle, earning a Gold rating and second place overall among concert bands, in addition to the coveted Adjudicator Award at the WorldStrides Heritage Music Festival. (Courtesy photo)