THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Friday, May 5, 1995 TAG: 9505040131
SECTION: VIRGINIA BEACH BEACON PAGE: 21 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY JO-ANN CLEGG, STAFF WRITER
LENGTH: Medium: 68 lines
Several hundred Kempsville High School students, along with dozens of chaperones and some faculty members, packed up their uniforms, snares, Sousaphones, clarinets, violins and sheet music recently, boarded five buses and an equipment truck and made an overnight trip to Orlando.
Five days later they returned, carrying home a few extras: a half-dozen plaques and 14 trophies, some of them big enough to require a seat of their own on the crowded buses.
``We had trophies in seats, in front of the bathroom, some kids even slept with them,'' said Sean McCroskey, who along with Kristian Levernois serves as drum major of the Kempsville Marching Chiefs.
The trophies were the tangible rewards from Musicfest Orlando, a major high school music competition held April 21 and 22 featuring students from all over the country.
The competition was the first ever in which Kempsville fielded competitors from band, orchestra and choir at the same time.
It also was the first national competition for the 55-member chorus, which came home with one second- and two third-place trophies along with three superior ratings.
``I believe that this is just the beginning of great things to come in the choral department,'' said Lydia Tolliver, who has directed the group for the last two years.
The 26 members of the orchestra, under the direction of Martin Sunderland, competed in two categories and earned a first-place trophy and a grand championship.
It was the second year in competition for the group, which received excellent ratings overall.
Against 36 units from more than a dozen states, Kempsville's 110 band students took three grand championships, four first places and two seconds. They also were named Overall Sweepstakes winner, the highest award given at the competition.
For band director Bill Pease, the wins were made all the sweeter by the caliber of the competition.
``We won against bands from Texas where they put a whole lot more money into music programs than we can here,'' he said. ``Bands are really big business down there.''
``We have a lot of things to be proud of here at Kempsville,'' Principal Louis Tonelson said as he surveyed the trophies.
``This is part of being a well-rounded school, giving all of the students a chance to be successful in some area. You know most of these kids aren't just good musicians, they're good students as well.
``And they've had a lot of great support from the faculty and the parents.''
As far as the students were concerned, the high point of the trip was the feeling they got when the winners were announced.
``There was so much school spirit,'' said Elizabeth Bell, the band's concert mistress.
``We don't even see that much spirit at football games,'' added chorus president Julie Sherbon. ILLUSTRATION: Staff photo by CHARLIE MEADS
Kempsville High principal Louis Tonelson joins Elizabeth Bell, an
orchestra member; Julie Sherbon, a chorus member; and Sean
McCroskey, a band member, with the 14 trophies that the three
musical groups won at a competition in Florida.
by CNB