More than 1,000 student musicians – many wearing dazzling jackets and tall feathered hats – marched in the annual parade to formally open this year's All State Music Festival.
Michelle Peterson, a senior at Middlebury Union High School, looked resplendent in her cream and gold trimmed drum major uniform.
Pointing to the 24 bands lined up for blocks behind her, she said unlike Fourth of July or Memorial Day parades, which typically include regional bands, this event attracts young musicians from all over Vermont.
“For the All State parade, it’s like bands from everywhere. You see all the uniforms, and there’s always talking smack about the uniforms,” she says, laughing. “But we always admire them, because it’s really cool to see all the other bands.”
"You get to meet people from other schools ... And people are just at such a high level that you can accomplish so much in such a short time." - Luke Benz, Middlebury senior
The festival's annual opening day parade is meant to be inclusive, allowing nearly every musician from a participating school to perform.
But the honor ensembles, which rehearse intensely over the remainder of the four day festival and put on performances Friday and Saturday, are much more selective.
This year, 430 students made the cut, including Middlebury Union’s Luke Benz, who was selected to play trombone in the state jazz ensemble.
“You get to meet people from other schools,” says Benz. “People you don’t normally get to play with and people are just at such a high level that you can accomplish so much in such a short time. And I think that’s the fun part," says the 17-year-old senior. “Just to see what progress you make in two days is quite something.”
Vermont’s All State Music Festival was first held in 1928. Steffen Parker has been its director for 31 years, and says he’s continually amazed at how talented the participating students are.
He says providing an opportunity for these kids to showcase and improve their skills is what keeps him coming back year after year. “I would say there are probably at least a dozen band, chorus, orchestra or jazz directors in the state of Vermont that I remember from all state years before,” says Parker. “My mother was in it in 1947, '48 and '49. My grandfather was an organizer for 25 years, so it’s kind of in our blood," he says smiling. “But I come back because of the kids,” adds Parker.
He says the event is especially impressive, and quite unique, because it moves around the state each year and families in each community pitch in to house participating students.
