On Thursday, May 7th, all 7th and 8th grade students travelled to Tokyo's Nerima Culture Center to participate in the KPASS Middle School Band Festival. Other schools in attendance were Zama American, Seisen International, Christian Academy in Japan, and Saint Mary's International.

The students from Saint Maur prepared three pieces (Into the Clouds, Dreamsong, and Tripwire) in their separate classes and combined to create a 78-member ensemble, the largest at the event.

Students have prepared their music since the beginning of the school year and have had a total 16 homework assignments and tests through the year to gauge their individual progress. Even students new to Saint Maur this year participated in the event after starting their instrument in the fall semester - a major personal accomplishment for them.

In addition, 14 Saint Maur students were selected to participate in the KPASS Middle School Select Band, an ensemble comprised of students from each school present at the event. These students were given the task of rehearsing three additional pieces with 61 students at Saint Maur on Saturday, May 2, and perform for their peers at the Band Festival. They represented Saint Maur superbly with a great performance with only a few weeks to practice their parts.