Music in the Parks 2023
BCCHS Band performing at the Music in the Parks festival
May 21, 2023
In mid-May, The Billings Central Music Department traveled to Coeur d’Alene, Idaho to compete in the Music in the Parks festival. The Music in the Parks competition is a nationwide competition for band, choir, and orchestra students, where they perform for adjudicators in the morning and then spend the rest of the day at an amusement park. During this trip, BCCHS music students had the opportunity to perform the music pieces they had been working on and participate in fun activities in the Coeur d’Alene and Spokane area.
The music students left Billings on Thursday, May 11, at around 6:30 in the morning. They spent the day traveling to Spokane. After arriving in Spokane, everyone was dropped off at Riverfront Park. Students and chaperones explored the park, went shopping, and participated in activities like roller skating and viewing the Spokane Falls. After finishing at the park, everyone walked to the Old Spaghetti Factory in downtown Spokane for dinner.
On Friday morning, the music students went to Gonzaga University, where they worked in a master class setting with the band, choir, and orchestra directors. The instructors listened to the ensemble’s performance pieces for the Music in the Parks competition, gave tips and advice to the students, and showed students around the Myrtle Woldson Performing Arts Center. After students finished with the directors, everyone gathered in the auditorium to listen to the Montana admissions officer speak about Gonzaga and learn more about certain aspects of the school. After the students finished at Gonzaga, they went to Wonderland Family Fun Center. Students played arcade games, laser tag, and mini golf, and raced each other in go-karts. After students spent time playing games and hanging out with their friends, they got ready to go to Lake Coeur d’Alene for a private boat cruise with dinner and a DJ. Everyone enjoyed dinner and dancing while floating across the lake to end the day.
On Saturday morning, the band, choir, and orchestra students performed at the festival. Each ensemble had a 2-minute warm-up piece and two performance pieces. After all three groups finished, the music students got to spend the rest of the day at Silverwood Theme Park. Students spent their time going on rides, eating food, and playing games until everyone gathered for awards.
All the students involved in the festival gathered to hear what place they got and to hear if anyone received individual awards. The Billings Central music department was very successful this year: all three ensembles received first place. The choir received a superior score, and the band and orchestra both received an excellent score. One Billings Central student received an individual award and the whole music department received an extra special award. Freshman Joanne Ragsdale won an award for being an accompanist on the piano for the choir. This award she received is special because she stood out to the adjudicators during the performance. At the Music in the Parks festival, a students performance starts as soon as they walk through the doors of the school you are performing at. Schools are not only judged on their musical performance, but also on how respectful their students are, how they act at the park, and how they treat other people. This year, Billings Central won the Esprit de Corps award, which is the highest award a school can receive at Music in the Parks. This award shows how students at Billings Central act and treat other people inside and outside of school.
On Sunday morning, before leaving Coeur d’Alene, the music students went to the Cathedral of Our Lady of Lourdes for Mass. After Mass, everyone got on the buses and started the drive back to Billings. The Music in the Parks trip gives Central students the opportunity to show off their music skills by competing and getting critiqued by adjudicators, while also getting to experience fun activities and places outside of Montana.
