School Music Groups Advance in Contests

The Moorpark High School concert band and wind ensemble have each qualified to participate in a regional music competition later this spring.

Both musical groups qualified for advanced competition after earning superior ratings at the Channel Islands band festival in Oxnard late last month.

The concert band scored a superior rating at the festival first, and the wind ensemble followed suit.

Regional competition at yet-to-be-determined sites will feature performances from other award-winning high school ensembles from Southern California.

The honors were the first for the music program since band director Robert Hackett took over the music department last year.

“I am very proud of the students,” Hackett said. “They are some of the finest young musicians, and some of the finest young people, I have ever been involved with.”