Goochland Middle, High bands, choruses earn Superior ratings together

The sound of Goochland’s music program carried beyond one stage and into a countywide milestone: both Goochland Middle School and Goochland High School bands earned straight Superior ratings at the District 3 VBODA State Concert Band Assessment, and both schools’ chorus programs also finished Superior.

Goochland County Public Schools said the result made both schools Blue Ribbon Awarded Schools and marked a historic first, because the middle school and high school reached that level in the same year. The division also said the assessment it hosted drew about 1,100 students and more than 300 family members, turning the event into a major regional gathering of young musicians instead of just an internal school performance.

In Virginia, that distinction carries real weight. The Virginia Music Educators Association says its Blue Ribbon Award is the highest honor for school music programs in the commonwealth, reserved for programs whose top eligible performing groups all earn a final Superior rating at VMEA District Concert Performance Assessment. For Goochland, the achievement showed strength at multiple grade levels, not just one standout ensemble, and it gave families a clear sign that band and chorus are part of the county’s educational core.

The work behind the ratings belonged to students and to the directors who guided them. Jay Sykes, GCPS Band Director and Department Lead, led the middle school band effort, while Jacob Gittleman led the high school band. Erinne Smitherman guided the choral program, where both the GMS Chorus and GHS Chorus earned Superior ratings at assessment. Together, those results created a rare sweep that reflected steady preparation, sectional work, rehearsal discipline and the pressure of performing for judges at a capstone event.

The payoff reaches beyond the plaques and the final score sheets. In a county where extracurricular programs help shape whether students feel rooted in school, a shared arts victory like this strengthens school identity and gives younger students a visible path from Goochland Middle to Goochland High. It also reinforces the reputation of a division where creative programs are not treated as extras, but as a measure of what excellence looks like.

That broader pattern has been building in the high school choral program, too. Goochland High School’s choir had already been celebrated for bringing home first place with a Superior rating and being named Grand Champions of the entire choral division at an earlier competition, a sign that the latest Blue Ribbon result was part of a sustained run of success rather than a one-time peak.