2008 OSAA Band and Orchestra State Champioships

Students representing sixty-eight high schools in Oregon performed Wednesday through Saturday, May 6-9, at the 2008 OSAA Band and Orchestra State Championships held at the LaSells Stewart Center on the campus of Oregon State University.

The question just had to be asked, "Amber, How does it feel to be one of the best musicians in the whole state of Oregon?" My daughter and her amazing orchestra took first place in the Strings Orchestra Division and Full Orchestra Division this past weekend. My heart went out to the poor bus driver who drove home 60 plus high school students at 10 p.m. Friday night as they chanted out the windows "We are the Champions, We are the Champions!"

The top winners in each division were:

STRING ORCHESTRA DIVISION:
1st – Reynolds High School, Directed by Ben Brooks - 322 points.
2nd – Crescent Valley High School, Directed by Charles Creighton - 318 points.
3rd – South Salem High School, Directed by Brandon Correa - 306 points.
4th – Sprague High School, Directed by Scott Esty - 304 points.
5th – South Eugene High School, Directed by Richard Long - 302 points.

FULL ORCHESTRA DIVISION:
1st – Reynolds High School, Directed by Ben Brooks - 313 points.
2nd – South Salem High School, Directed by MaryLou Boderman - 306 points.
3rd – Sprague High School, Directed by Scott Esty and Brad Howard - 299 points.
4th – West Linn High School, Directed by Jeff Cumpston - 277 points.