On March 2, 2019, the Midlo Trojan Concert Band traveled to LC Bird High School for their annual assessment. Various high schools participate in this event to receive a rating from a panel of judges. Under the direction of Mr. Gordon Rawls, the Trojan Band entered the assessment as a 20-time honor band, and after months of practicing, Midlothian aimed to perform for a superior rating once again.

To begin the assessment, the band filed into the auditorium, and after a brief warm up, began their performance for the judges. The band opened with Challenger March by Larry Howeth, which featured a bold introduction and multiple dramatic dynamic contrasts. Next, they performed Pageant by Vincent Persichetti. Described as the most challenging piece in the program, Pageant began with a horn solo by senior Kate Woodington and progressed into a slow opening section. As the song grew more lively, the unique composition and chords drew in listeners. To close, the band performed Dominion of the Sky, composed by David Shaffer. This soaring piece featured a flurry of fast notes, based on Greek Mythology. At the conclusion of the last song, the audience erupted in applause. 

From there, the band traveled to a different room to sight read a song. Each student received a piece of music that they had never before seen. They had a few minutes to prepare the music, during which they were not allowed to play. After a successful sight reading, the band traveled to the open commons, where they eagerly awaited the results from the night.

Midlo’s hard work paid off, as they received a one in both the performance and sight reading category, earning them an overall score of superior. The students cheered, as this marked the 21st year in which Midlo qualified as an honor band and received this superior rating. Following the performance, freshman Ashley Jennings commented, “I feel proud of our performance and happy that all of our hard work paid off.”