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The scoreboard told the same old story: West Linn 63, Oregon City 0. Tiny Oregon City High's students hated their "loser" reputation, so when the energetic new bandmaster convinced his band they could "take state" by outplaying the 4-A schools at the state band festival, they accepted his challenge. Their commitment to keep tough training rules during the demanding ten-week rehearsal schedule stretched them to their limits.
The grueling schedule overwhelmed one senior already carrying a full-time load at home. Tall, shy Andrew Sherwood was a hard worker and a good student, but he had no friends at school. Julie Ryckman, the band's 5' 12" oboe player, was attracted to Andrew and hoped to win his friendship, but didn't understand his problems.
Already pushed to the limit by his abusive father, Andrew was given a crucial band assignment he didn't have time to fill. Few noticed his increasing exhaustion until the fateful day, a week before the competition, when he reached the breaking point and his world crashed around him. The whole town watched as the boy's future hung in the balance, while the school's chances of taking state were fading fast.
And then came Julie, and the band, and the newspaper editorial, and the town, and parents finally willing to change, and blossoming, and renewed resolve, and finally . . . the competition!
This is a tale of crescendoing skills and self-esteem and friendships, as students learned to pay the price to reap the rewards of personal excellence. It's the moving account of a skilled and dedicated teacher, an emotional view of a boy struggling against overwhelming pressures, a sweet glimpse of blossoming love, and a thrilling story of the town that rallied to the support of its youth when the need suddenly arose.
Crescendo is a delightfully written jewel! It will have you laughing, crying, then pondering, and cheering at the end! A sure-fire prediction: you'll want to buy Shostakovich's Fifth Symphony and join the band!
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