On Saturday, March 16th the Little School of Music Rock Bands “Flashback” and “Crazy Crew” performed at the WorldStrides Heritage Festival in Anaheim, CA. 40 music ensembles from 24 different schools traveling from 7 US States (including Hawaii, Florida, and Alaska), and 2 Canadian provinces participated in the festival over two days and two locations. Both Little School of Music bands received GOLD Awards, the highest ranking you can achieve based on a national standard of excellence. The plaques are on display in the lobby of the school.
In addition, lead singers (and high school seniors) Ashbi Rivera and Arun Ghoshal both received the very prestigious “Maestro Award” for their outstanding individual performance! These are awarded by the Adjudicators to individuals who have shown exceptional talent and leadership, and who far exceed performance expectations. Only 10 were awarded for the entire festival.
“Arun saw Daniella receive that award the first year we came to WorldStrides and he said he wished he would earn one someday too.” said Sara Ghosal
The adjudicators were on point at the festival and had some great comments for the bands. Dr. James Arnwine is a long-time associate of Miss Mindy. It was nice to see him and receive his feedback about the bands. Adjudicator Dr. Robert Frelly came on stage at the end of each performance to provide live comments for the bands. He had some great tips!
We would also like to extend a heartfelt thank you to Music Director, Frank Browne for his work and dedication to helping the bands reach their highest potential over the years. His expertise is not only in music but also in understanding the short and long-term path to guide these young musicians and set them up for success.
He brings his teaching and professional performance experience together along with a balance of musical styles from classic rock to teen grunge and pop. The variety of musical styles and bands the students play helps them reach outside their comfort zone and into new musical experiences so they can continue to learn and grow as individual artists as well as a performance group.
“So very proud and happy for the kids. They worked extremely hard, and were rewarded with a well-received performance and wonder overall experience.” Frank Browne, Music Director
We are beyond proud of our Rock Bands! They have shown tremendous dedication, cooperative collaboration, growth and determination, and an infectious enthusiasm for music while inspiring others. We enjoyed an afternoon at Disneyland and the Awards Ceremony at the California Adventure Theater! It was packed!
Thank you to the amazing staff at WorldStrides for hosting this event and working around the clock to make it special for every participant from students, parents, Directors, and Administrators, to the adjudicators. This is the BEST staff consistently following through on their mission to help bring people together, create stronger bonds, and celebrate music around the world. We love you guys and appreciate all you do to support us and our young musicians.
Most importantly, we would like to extend our appreciation and gratitude to all of the parents and families who have been so incredibly supportive to their children and to Little School of Music. None of this would be possible without your encouragement and belief in music education. The lessons we learn go beyond the music to help shape the kind of people we become in the world. Thank you for recognizing that and providing this opportunity. These are memories that last a lifetime.
Little School of Music students come back with big achievements
The Signal from April 8th, 2024 by Habeba Mostafa
Senior Standing Ovation
Ashbi has been at Little School of Music since 2016 (8 years) learning piano and voice along the way with our exceptional teachers Brianna for piano, Justin for voice, and Frank for band.
Arun has been at Little School of Music since 2009 (15 years) beginning in the Music for Little Mozarts Class, and voice lessons in 2013 and is now preparing for the RCM Voice Level 8 Exam this May! He has studied with several LSM teachers over the years and his primary instructors now are Justin for voice and Frank for band.
Ashbi and Arun are both exceptional musicians and leaders. Their continuous dedication and growth over the years led them both to achieve amazing honors and awards and inspire others to aspire to higher achievements and confidently express their individuality. We have them for a few more months at Little School of Music, but these high school seniors will be off to college soon to launch into higher levels of education and do even greater things for the world. We will miss seeing and hearing them in the halls each week.
We are sending out a special congratulations and standing ovation for their achievements, and the best of luck moving into their new experiences. We couldn’t be more proud or more happy for them.
