Junior High Band students were focused on their music Friday during class under the direction of Spencer Wahl, sixth through eighth grade instrumental music instructor.
Wahl listened to the music that filled the room, stopping the students at one point to say, “Can we experiment with something…”
The students made adjustments and started again. He said at the end of one selection, “There’s lots of things that are good, but the better you get, the more the mistakes stand out.”
Their hard work has paid off though, the Junior High Band has been selected to preform at the South Dakota Bandmasters Convention on Feb. 10th, 2018.
The honor is a first for Lennox.
Wahl, who is in his third year with the Lennox School District, said they had to send in two recordings playing in a contrasting style and then a committee of the Bandmaster’s Board reviewed the auditions and made the selections.
Lennox is one of the smallest schools chosen to preform, also making the cut was West Central’s Eighth Grade Band, Roosevelt High School, Lincoln High School, Brandon Valley High School.
South Dakota Band Masters Convention will take place in Brookings, the Lennox Junior High Band will perform at 9 a.m. in the Brookings Performing Arts Center; the public is invited to attend.
The Convention brings band directors from across the state together. Wahl said they bring in artists and clinicians for the annual conference.
The Lennox Junior High Band consists of 57 students. Eighth grade percussionist Lainey Hansen said, “We’ve worked hard enough; we’re excited to show something we have to be proud of.”
Alto Saxophone player and fellow eighth grade student Katie Brenholt added, “It’s cool to think we could get into something a lot bigger. We have a good teacher!”
Along with the Feb. 10th performance in Brookings, other opportunities to hear the Junior High Band include:
February 5th at the seventh through twelfth grade band concert, to be held at the Lennox High School at 7 p.m.
February 7th, the Junior High band will be preforming with the USD Symphonic Band in a shared concert at 2 p.m. The event is open to the public and will be held in the High School gymnasium.