Tyson band wins gold, silver at Nashville competition

Musicians from Cicely Tyson High School won two prestigious awards at the 2023 Heritage Worldstrides Music Festival in Nashville, Tennessee.

The program took a gold medal in the jazz band category and a silver in the symphonic band contest and has been invited to perform at Carnegie Hall in New York City and for the City of Chicago in the spring of 2024.

“Our goal is to win gold medals,” said Oscar Petty Jr., who is the director of bands and symphony orchestra at Cicely Tyson High School.

Petty, with help from other school staff and some parents, took 45 students in grades 9-12, to compete in the festival located in Nashville, Tennessee.

“Nashville is renowned for country music, the Grand Ole Opry, and the festivals. It’s one of the most famous and well-respected music venues in the world,” Petty said.

The festival is a national competition for symphonic bands and jazz ensembles that runs for three days. Performers are adjudicated by a panel of judges, who are professionals in the field, based on repertoire, ensemble performance, and skill level.

The importance of being prepared is critical for participation in the competition.

“Students get to go provided they are able to perform the music,” Petty said. “The senior musicians and I critique each band member to make sure they are thoroughly prepared to compete,” Petty said. “It takes individual practice by students on a daily basis. This includes full ensemble periods and applied music class. At the end of the day we have full ensemble practice which includes all 45 students.”

Participants and staff traveled to the competition via bus.

“We travel by bus, and parents have to provide money for some of the meals,” Petty said. “The lion’s share of the expenses are funded by school administration and the East Orange Board of Education.”

Over the past 10 years Petty and his groups have traveled to Boston, Washington, DC, Williamsburg, Virginia, Atlanta, Georgia, and Annapolis, Maryland.The initiative was inspired by Petty’s personal observations while attending festivals.

“In my previous experience, when I went to these festivals, I did not see diversity,” Petty said. “I also wanted to give students the experience of hearing other ensembles outside of the community.”

The appeal of different venue locations also played a role in his vision.

“Geographically, visiting other parts of the country is appealing,” Petty said. “Since we all refer to music as a national and international language, it’s important to have a variety of experiences outside of the community and have students meet musicians their age, they’re citizens of the world.”

The social aspect of the experience is another appeal for Petty.

“Having students socially connect with other kids, their peers is important too,” Petty said.

Pulling it all together is a long process, according to Petty, who said he listens to the music other bands perform and uses his own experience to decide what to play.

“I work to come up with repertoire that would be on the cutting edge of pre-college, college level music,” Petty said. “Normally I start the repertoire before the end of the school year. I am already strategizing for next year’s festival.”