FORT FAIRFIELD, Maine – Band and chorus students from throughout the region will perform Saturday at the All-Aroostook Music Festival in Fort Fairfield.
According to Fort Fairfield Middle-High School band director Robert Helstrom, the concert will begin at 3 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 13 in the school’s gymnasium.
“The concert will feature both middle and high school bands and choruses,” he said. “This isn’t a competition and there’s no judging … it’s just kids from Aroostook County getting together and performing because that’s what they love to do.”
Participating students did have to compete in order to be invited to attend the All-Aroostook Music Festival, which is sponsored by the Northern Maine Music Educators Association (District 7).
“Kids had to audition to get into this group,” said Helstrom. “Auditions were held Dec. 3 at Houlton High School, and a pair of judges for each discipline followed a very strict set of criteria. Everyone was given a rating between 1 and 100. The number of students chosen depended on what they needed to balance the group.
“If they needed 10 trumpets, for example, and the kids meet the criteria,” he said, “one through 10 got chosen. It’s a competition to get into the Festival, but Saturday’s performance is just that … a performance.”
All-Aroostook Music Festival participants will be in Fort Fairfield Friday rehearsing. Rehearsals will also be held Saturday morning.
The All-Aroostook Music Festival was last hosted by Fort Fairfield Middle-High School in 1998.
“We had to first get the OK from our school superintendent,” said Helstrom, “and then we had to submit a letter expressing our interest in hosting the Festival.
“It has to be requested, and the schools are put in a rotation,” he said. “We have to provide the facility and the volunteers.”
Helstrom said Fort Fairfield wanted to host the Festival because it’s a good way to show the school and the community that music is alive and well in the area.
“Hosting the Festival is a way to inspire the students to become better,” he said, “and it gives the kids who come from a small school system an opportunity to play with a large band and have a little more of a challenge.”
With shrinking enrollment in Aroostook County, Helstrom said school bands are shrinking, too.
“When I was in school in Washburn, we had 90 kids in band … now there’s 10 or 11 kids. Fort Fairfield used to have 115 kids, now we’ve got 35,” he said. “The percentage per class is the same, but we don’t have the enrollment to draw from. Numbers rule and administrators notice that when determining budget cuts.”
Helstrom said the middle school chorus, middle school band, high school chorus and high school band will each perform three or four songs.
“Each group performs individually,” he said. “The overall concert will last about two hours.”
Schools including Caribou, Fort Kent, Central Aroostook Junior-Senior High School, Southern Aroostook Community School, Limestone, Union 122, SAD 29, SAD 70, Easton and Presque Isle are among those who will be performing.
“We’re excited and enthused to have all the different schools here,” said Helstrom. “In the past, it’s been a pretty good Festival, and this year won’t be any different.”
During the Festival, the Fort Fairfield Music Boosters will be selling concessions and Christmas ornaments in the shape of various musical instruments. Proceeds will benefit the Fort Fairfield music students’ May trip to the Atlantic Music Festival in Halifax.
“Brenda Saucier, who is the president of the Music Boosters, and all her volunteers have been wonderful,” said Helstrom. “I owe them all a big debt of thanks.”
In the event of inclement weather Friday, there will be a one-day festival Saturday. Should Saturday’s weather turn bad, the All-Aroostook Music Festival will be held at 3 p.m. Monday, Jan. 15.
Tickets, which are $3 for children, $4 for adults and $10 for families, will be available at the door or from schools whose music students are participating in the Festival.
