Area Schools to Participate in West
Michigan D Conference Band Concert
By KEN GRABOWSKI, News Advocate Associate
Editor
Published: Saturday, November 21, 2009
PENTWATER -- The band programs in the Bear
Lake, Onekama, Brethren and Manistee Catholic Central high schools are
outstanding in that they give their students an opportunity to receive
top level instruction and the chance to compete annually in state
competition.
However, all the districts are Class D schools, which that means they
simply don’t have the sheer numbers to experience that “big sound” that
comes from playing in a large orchestra type atmosphere. It is the main
reason the West Michigan D Conference gives its members that
opportunity every year with the conference band concert.
The concert will be taking place this year on Tuesday, Nov. 24 at
Pentwater High School. The 7 p.m. event will include all of the band
members from every school in the conference.
The 2009 concert will have an even more local flavor to it, because
Manistee Area Public Schools director of bands Cynthia Swan-Eagan has
been selected as the guest conductor.
“They asked me to do it, and I thought it was
really cool,” said Swan-Eagan. “It is the first time I have done it for
this group, and it was nice to have your peers want you to work with
their kids.”
Swan-Eagan said they will be performing some pieces in the concert that
she is familiar with, and some that will be new to her. She said the
selections the conference directors selected to perform are excellent,
and she is looking forward to working with the students on them.
“One of the pieces is called ‘Vortex’ by David Shaffer, and it is a real
fun piece that is very percussive, said Swan-Eagan. “There is also
marches and ballads.” |
Students from Onekama High School taking part
in the concert will be Emily Barnard, Rebecca Cunningham, Ashley DeRooy,
Kaylan Fitch, Taylor Hagen, Claire Harvey, Madalyn Harvey, Toni Makela,
Curtis McKenney, Travis Mckenney, Brandon Morrill, Austin Olson, Ryan
Pienta, Logan Place and Lauren Pokorzynski.
Bear Lake High School students taking part will be Molly Mansfield-Yaple,
Roger Mullet, Kaydee Swanson, Ashley Rupert, Lewis Bartlett, Amber
Hofstetter and Samantha Mullet.
The Brethren High School students are Meagan Amsden, Dillon Arlt, Alex
Ausmus, Brittany Babb, Warner Ball, Carlee Broughton, Autumn Clements,
Kalie Fairbanks, Zach Fairbanks, Rylee Fleming, Christian Funk, Jenna
Grocholski, Danielle Johnson, Kody Karash, Lindsey Karash, Aaron Krause,
Thressa La Haye, Tiffany Larsen, Edward Lorin, Cheyenne Luzier, Rebecca
Priest, Dylan Richardson, Joseph Riggs, Kristen Sanla, Zoey Smith,
Dillon Vanderbie, Katie Voorhies, Alyssa Waldo, Andrea Waldo, Brendan
Wayward, David White, and David Wright.
Manistee Catholic Central students in the band are Ashland Jansma, Molly
Howard, Holly Gamache, Haley Doyle, Vincent Modjeski, Jordan Barnett,
Jacob Fischer, Julia Sidor, Gabe Tocyznski, Alex Hogan and Alex
Kowalkowski.
Swan-Eagan said the mass band concept for a conference is going to be
fun for the students because it will give them the unique opportunity to
work together with their peers from other schools.
“What is neat about this is these kids compete on the athletic field ,
in Quiz Bowl and other venues, but now they will be sitting next the
each other making music,” said Swan Eagan. “The outcome is really more
about the day, and the camaraderie they will enjoy instead of the
concert. It is more about the journey than the destination.”
The students will gather that day at Pentwater High School at 9 a.m.,
where they will begin working the musical numbers they will perform that
evening. It will all lead up to the concert that night and Swan-Eagan
invites everyone to come to Pentwater to enjoy the music.
Ken Grabowski can be reached at:
kgrabowski@pioneergroup.com
. |