McLean High School musicians rehearse on Friday, Feb. 1. Photo Contributed
McLean High School symphonic and concert band musicians dominated a recent county organized individual performance competition, taking 66 chairs or alternate positions in the All-Disrict Band. The school program earned nearly three times more than the next highest performing schools, Madison and Langley High School, and had the highest number of All-District musicians in the state of Virginia.
In terms of performance, McLean's 66 musician showing broke the 2012 record of 57 qualifiers. The students make up 25 percent of the top All-District ensemble, and over 40 percent of the second All-District ensemble, while 22 of the school's All-District members are seniors, 17 are freshman. Also, it is the only school that had musicians from every instrument section qualify.
According to Chris Weise, the school director of bands, “McLean now churns out some of the finest school musician in the nation.”