SKyPAC Hosts Spring AC-SHS Band Performances
The concert concluded with the performance of the concert band, which played several songs. Some of the standout performances, according to Cook, include, but are not limited to, “Choose Joy,” by Randall Standridge, with soloists Laela Cline, Mackenzie Minix, and Cayden Collins, and “Variations on a Korean Folks Song” by John Barnes Chance, with soloists Hayden Sandefer, Kane Simmons, Callie Morgan, Kanan Carver, and Jacob Bandy. “It’s been an honor to be their teacher and to watch them progress musically,” Cook expressed.
By Damon Stone,
Staff Writer
The Allen County-Scottsville HIgh School Concert Band performed their spring concert in the Southern Kentucky Performing Arts Center, or SKyPAC, on Tuesday, April 29.
Under the direction of conductors Tyler Cook, Joshua Pace, and guest conductors Jacob Steele, Parker Evans, and Sam Hines, the concert showcased the students at the high school who have dedicated their time and energy to the arts.
“I thought it went really well,” Cook expressed. “I hope (the audience) was able to take away something that they liked, maybe they heard something new, and just enjoy the great music-making from our young musicians in our small little town here.”
Cook explained that the musicianship has matured so that they are able to tackle more challenging and complex pieces.
Some “stand-out performances” from the show that Cook wanted to highlight includes the jazz band’s performance of “Somewhere in the Moonlight,” by Larry Neck.
“It was a classic, rock-ballad tribute, with the soloist Aidan Stone,” Cook explained. “The group and the soloist did a fantastic job.”
Jacob Steele, the director of the brass choir, conducted the choir through the opening of the show. The brass choir performed the songs “Fanfare for Full Fathom Five,” by John Mackey, and “Horkstow Grange,” by Percy Grainger, and being arraigned by J. W. Steele.
Cook also praised the jazz band’s performance of “Big Noise from Winnetka,” arranged by Paul Lavender, with Kanan Carver, Hayden Sandefer, and Tucker Stinson as soloists, with the song being a big-band piece.
“The Brass Choir did a great job with the (‘Fanfare for Full Fathom Five’) John Mackey fanfare, which opened our concert, and the Irish classic ‘Horkstow Grange,’” Cook expressed.
Cook praised the concert band’s performances of “Choose Joy,” by Randall Standridge, with soloists Laela Cline, Mackenzie Minix, and Cayden Collins, with “Variations on a Korean Folks Song” by John Barnes Chance being the “gem of the whole thing,” with soloists Hayden Sandefer, Kane Simmons, Callie Morgan, Kanan Carver, and Jacob Bandy.
For the seniors in the band, this was their last performance, and for Cook, the same seniors were once his freshman class.
“It’s been an honor to be their teacher and to watch them progress musically,” Cook expressed. “We started four years ago playing a bunch of grade twos and threes, and now grade threes have become our sight-reading material. We’re able to tackle challenging music, which makes them better musicians, and in turn, makes them more mature in the way they make sounds in the middle of the performance and how they convey their tone quality.”
For context, songs are graded on a difficulty scale, with the higher the number indicating the complexity of the piece, with lower numbers being less complex, and higher numbers being more complex.
Cook added that, on a professional scale, this recent concert was “more mature” in terms of the skills of the students, as they have had to tackle more challenging songs, such as “Galop” by Dmitri Shostakovich, arranged by D. Hunsberger, with Jacob Steele as the conductor for that song, and “Remembering” by LeAndre Benton, with JoyDale Williams, Gabe Blankenship, Kane Simmons, Cayden Collins, Silas Schwartz, Sidney Murray, Whitley Carter, Parker Morgan, Layne Eaton, Mackynzie Hunt, Hunter Loveall, and Ruby Whitney as soloists.
The Jazz Band, under the direction of Joshua Pace, performed their set from their recent concert at the Lyric. Their set consisted of several classic jazz songs, such as “Somewhere in the Moonlight,” by Larry Neck. “It was a classic, rock-ballad tribute, with the soloist Aidan Stone,” Cook explained. “The group and the soloist did a fantastic job.”
“I hope the entire band is able to take away appreciation for the arts for performing in a venue like that,” Cook said. “SKyPAC is an amazing venue, and it’s really cool to be a high schooler playing in a venue like that. I hope they take away the feelings of growth and maturity that we have reached because we’re making progress at a rapid pace.”
Cook added that he hopes that the students are able to appreciate “the small things,” such as their fellow students and musicians, along with the coordination that goes into putting the show together.
The flute section consists of Adalyn Skipworth, who is a senior and played at the all-district performance, Laela Cline, Mariah Jacobsen, Gracie Booth, Kayden South, Kennadie Kelley, Sophie Borders, Kayla Weedman, Aubry Blankenship, Isabella Santiago and Melia Emery.
On oboe was Sydney Bromwell and Silas Schwartz, with Skyler Hester on the bassoon.
Clarinet players consisted of Cayden Collins, who played in the jazz band and at all-district, Kaylee Escobar, Braxton Anderson, Georgia Farris, Trace Kelley, Addyson Harris, Katie King, Addison Lewis, Sierra Skrobot, Drew Royals and Anna Rossetter, who played in the jazz band, with Olivia Nelson and Layla Williams on bass clarinet.
Those who played alto saxophone included Sidney Murray, who played at all-district, in the jazz band and winterguard, Hadley Murray, who played at all-district and in the jazz band, Mackenzie Minix, who played in jazz band, Whitley Carter, Rachael Rather, Mattison Luke, Brennen Orr, and Josie Duarte.
Tenor saxophone players included Tucker Stinson, who played at all-district and was in the jazz band, and Rylan Grapes, who played in the jazz band, with Sighler Osborne and Gil Mercado playing the baritone saxophone.
Senior Layne Eaton performed a trombone solo at the start of the performance. Eaton was accompanied by an accompanying piano track. His performance was followed up by the Brass Choir, under the direction of Jacob Steele.
On trumpet were Kane Simmons, who played in all-district, all-state, the brass choir and jazz band, Hayden Sandefer, who played in all-district, brass choir and jazz band, Braedyn Henson, Emma Brown, Meredith Sewell, a senior who played in jazz band and the brass choir, Aidan Del Rio, who played in the brass choir and jazz band, Gabby Joyce, Lily Wilson, Parker Rossetter, and Ty Jacobsen.
The French Horn section consisted of JoyDale Williams, who played in the brass choir, jazz band, all-district, and all-state, Tyler Marsh, who played in the brass choir, Gabe Blankenship, who played in the brass choir and jazz band, Victor Palacios, a senior who played in the brass choir, and Joshwa Lavigne, a senior.
Trombone players consisted of Layne Eaton, a senior who played in all-district and all-state, Aidan Stone, a senior who plate in all-district and in the jazz band, Mackynzie Hunt, who played in the jazz band and is in winterguard, Madison Nadile, Hunter Loveall, Chase Manley, who played in the jazz band, and Jonah Holland, who played in the jazz band.
The baritone section consisted of Scarlett Gillian, Parker Morgan, who played in the brass choir, and Aiden Blankenship.
Tube players included Carter Douglas, who played in the brass choir and the jazz band, Dane Jones, who played in the brass choir, Aidan McQuern, and Luther Gass, a senior who was also in winterguard.
The percussion section consisted of Jacob Bandy, a senior in the brass choir, Kanan Carver, Caden Rogers, Callie Morgan, Kailey Gerteisen, Haley Dunn, Joshua Cook, Brooklyn Melton, who played in the brass choir, Zander Hinton, who played in the brass choir, Ruby Whitney, who is in winterguard, Dalton Threet, a senior, Hope McLean, who played in the jazz band, Carley Morgan, Khloe Simmons and FaithAnna Williams.
Cook ended the concert with a speech giving thanks to the supporters of the band and cited the Allen County Band Boosters for their financial help. “I hope the entire band is able to take away appreciation for the arts for performing in a venue like that,” Cook said. “SKyPAC is an amazing venue, and it’s really cool to be a high schooler playing in a venue like that. I hope they take away the feelings of growth and maturity that we have reached because we’re making progress at a rapid pace.”
