Liberty band sets school record at district
Liberty Band set a school record with 27 students qualifying for District 1 Honor Band. CONTRIBUTED
MADISON – Liberty Middle School Band set a school record with the most members to qualify for District 1 Honor Band.
Since September, Liberty musicians have prepared for scales, lyrical and technical etudes and sight-reading at audition. Huntsville High School hosted the clinic on Feb. 12-13.
“Honor Band is a great opportunity to meet other band kids around the district and work together towards a common goal,” Liberty Band Director Gwen Rakoff said. “They work amazingly hard to perform a concert with only two days of rehearsal. It’s also a great experience to perform with a fantastic guest conductor who traveled to District 1 for the event.”
Liberty woodwinds in Honor Band were Lauren Assaf, Abby Davies, Travis Nguyen, Vishay Ram, Madison Werkheiser, Abigail Wright and Melodie Zhu – flute; Ava Deas, Sophia Fox, Rebecca King, Katelynn Tucker – clarinet; Natalie Spence – contra-alto clarinet; Jackson Lanier and Michael Pagan-Selby – tenor sax; and Emily Bennett – baritone sax.
Liberty brass included Trey Cashon and Olivia Fox – trumpet; Susanna Edgecomb, Jenni Rice and Michael Severson – French horn; Tori Tahchawwickah – trombone; Paul Choe and Garrett Rakoff – euphonium; Sarah Cooley – tuba; Jadon Sweat – string bass; and Courtney Horn and Hajune Choi – percussion.
District 1, a division of Alabama Bandmaster’s Association (ABA), includes Limestone, Morgan and Madison counties. Sixty-two Liberty students were among 1,000-plus auditioning middle and high school students.
Liberty students filled 27 percent of chairs in district’s middle school band.
French horn player Jenni Rice enjoyed district because she “got to play new music and meet others who are experienced and interested in similar things to me.”
Trumpeter Trey Cashon said, “It was an amazing experience filled with fun and learning. The music was spectacular, the director was great, and I would definitely go again.”
“It was amazing to see what a bunch of amazing players with a passion for music can do in seven hours,” string bassist Jadon Sweat said.
Liberty is preparing for ABA State Music Festival in March and Festival Disney in Orlando, Fla. in April.
