On Tuesday, March 29, Sanborn Central and Woonsocket Schools’ band director, Mr. Russell Garry, took 13 fifth and sixth graders from the two schools to participate in the first ever Mitchell Area Young Band Festival. The original plan was to introduce the band festival two years ago, but due to the COVID-19 virus, it was postponed in both 2020 and 2021. Nine schools sent students to the inaugural band festival, including Corsica-Stickney, Gertie Belle Rogers, Kimball, L. B. Williams, Longfellow, Mitchell Middle School, Wagner, Sanborn Central and Woonsocket.

The students were given the music to be played at the festival concert a few weeks before the event. The day was filled with practice as a whole band and breakoff sectionals where individual instrument groups practiced together. The kids were instructed to wear jeans to go with the t-shirt that was provided by the event organizers for the kids to wear for the concert that afternoon. The event finished with a concert for friends and family. Two bands performed during the concert. The first band to play was the beginning band made up of fifth graders. They were conducted by Dale Nelson. The second band to play was the advancing levels band made up of sixth graders, and they were under the direction of Bob Carlson. The event sponsor was Schmitt Music out of Sioux Falls.

The Sanborn Central students who attended the music festival were Chloe Salathe, clarinet; Kaidence Fridley, flute; Landree Zoss, percussion; Ramsey Fouberg, percussion; Sean Bitterman, trombone; Brooklyn Larson, trumpet; and Carley Edwards, trumpet.

The Woonsocket students who participated in the music festival event were Haylee Foos, trumpet, Paige Anderson, clarinet; Valerie Button, flute; Rylan Eggleston, percussion; Wyatt Bohr, percussion; and Mathias Lindgren, trombone.

…See pictures in this week’s issue of the Sanborn Weekly Journal!