Special to The TIMES
The Pea Ridge Middle School and High School Bands had an impressive and record breaking number of students selected to the Region 6 Honor Band and Jazz Band last month. Forty band students attended the auditions with 23 being selected.
Students from a multitude of schools make up Region 6, including: Gravette, Gentry, Bentonville, Rogers, Green Forest, Berryville, Yellville-Summit, Flippin, Harrison, Mountain Home, Eureka Springs, Cotter and Pea Ridge. Students from these schools traveled to Harrison on Saturday, Jan. 16, to audition for the honor band. There are two honor bands for senior high students, grades 10-12, and two honor bands for junior high students, grades 7-9, and one senior high jazz band.
Students selected to the region honor band are:
Senior High 1st band: Garrett Lang, first chair baritone saxophone; Jaron Reed, first chair bassoon; Devon Giertz, third chair euphonium; Zach Bowie, third chair tuba; and Johnathon Schwyhart, first chair string bass.
Senior High 2nd band: Kallie Koon, 11th chair trumpet; Alan Sicairos, first chair trombone; Jacob Boyle, eighth chair tuba; Rett Watson, 10th chair percussion; and Josh Rugger, 11th chair percussion.
Junior High 1st band: Morgan Humphrey, ninth chair flute; Jose Zaragosa, sixth chair French horn; Ashley Hansen, seventh chair French horn; and Tate Christensen, seventh chair tuba.
Junior High 2nd band: Cailey Bowie, fourth chair clarinet; Tori Spencer, 13th chair clarinet; Layton Powell, ninth chair trumpet; Jeremiah Wachtel, sixth chair trombone; Ian Campbell, eighth chair tuba; and Ana Martinez, third alternate clarinet.
Seven of the Pea Ridge High School band students qualified to audition for the All-State Band and/or Jazz Band. This, too, is a record for the Pea Ridge Band. Those students are Devon Giertz, Garrett Lang, Jaron Reed, Alan Sicairos, Zach Bowie, Johnathon Schwyhart and Quentin Mathis.
These students traveled to Mountain Home on Friday, Jan. 22, and Saturday, Jan. 23, to participate in the Region Honor Band Clinic. Each of the four honor bands had a guest clinician rehearse with them in their respective 100-plus member bands. They worked Friday afternoon and Saturday morning on tunes that they performed in the Mountain Home High School auditorium Saturday afternoon for parents, family and friends of all the honor band students. The Pea Ridge Band students had a great time at the clinic and their family and friends made the three-hour trip to Mountain Home for the concert.
Last month in December, six high school band students traveled to Green Forest to audition for the Region 6 Honor Jazz Band. Five were selected to the Honor Jazz Band; they were: Johnathon Schwyhart, first chair bass guitar; Quentin Mathis, second chair bass guitar; Alan Sicairos, fourth chair trombone; James Farar, alternate tenor saxophone; and Prissy Hall, alternate alto saxophone. The following weekend, they traveled to Harrison to participate in the Region Jazz Clinic and Concert on Dec. 11 and 12.
The students who qualified to audition for the All-State Honor Bands and Jazz Bands, will travel to Henderson State University on Feb. 5 and 6 to audition. If selected, they will participate in the All-State Band, Orchestra and Choir Clinic held in Hot Springs, Feb. 17-20. Being selected to an All-State Band is the highest honor a student can achieve on their instrument. Many colleges and universities will begin to recruit these students and offer scholarships to be members of their school's band program, no matter what degree plan they pursue.
Blackhawk band directors Kevin Hume and Matt McCool said they are very proud of these young men and women and their accomplishments this year.
Community on 02/03/2016