Canfield musicians earn Superior ratings

The Canfield High School choral and band departments, under the direction of choir director Kelly Scurich and band director Michael Kelly, performed at the Ohio Music Education Association (OMEA) State Large Group Adjudicated Event April 27-28. With four groups participating at this most prestigious event, both departments earned Superior ratings.

For the choirs, both the One Octave Ensemble and the Chamber Choir earned Superior ratings after performing Friday night at Highland High School in Medina. Since 1998, the Canfield choirs have received 23 OMEA State Superior ratings under Scurich’s tenure. Canfield choirs were two of the three groups that made it to state competition from OMEA District 5 (Ashtabula, Mahoning and Trumbull counties).

For the bands, both the Concert and Symphonic Bands’ “Superior” ratings mark the first time in school history that both bands earned the highest mark four years in a row. Many of the 2012 band seniors completed a “clean sweep” at OMEA band contests having never received anything less than a Superior rating since seventh grade (10 total, two at the middle school level and eight at the high school level District and four State).

Canfield bands have earned 19 State “Superior” ratings – eight of which earned since 2006 under band director Michael Kelly. From OMEA District 5, only five bands performed at state and Canfield had two of five.

Sixteen Canfield students pulled double duty by performing both April 27 and 28. Special recognition goes to Mackenzie Blaney, Gabby Brant, Kelly Dahman, Haley Ward, Amanda Freedman, Ashley Haley, Michele Whiteleather, Sophia Pilloli, Emily Damelio, Olivia DeMartino, Elise Szabo, Karen Vankovich, Beau Kuhn, C.J Blaney, Nate Pecchia and Spencer Saylor.