High Plains Band and Choir Festival celebrates 52nd year

Students who have attended the festival for three or four years were honored with certificates.

Emily Hauck at Gering High School has been bringing band students for three years. She likes the opportunity for students and teachers to work with guest conductors.

“I like the sessions they do with us because we get to learn as well and like the reading sessions are really good. So, they get to see all the different instruments at the Hill’s Music display and also look through sheet music,”她说。. “I like that the event is two days long so they can work on the music and think about it a little more. They can practice their music ahead of time and then get more creative when they get together,”

She recalls lasting friendships she made when she attended the festival as a student at Gering.

“When I attended, I made a friend here and we were roommates in college,” Hauck said.

Doug Babic, the band teacher from Bridgeport, has been bringing students to High Plains for 12 years.

“They get to play with quality musicians and quality directors and spend two days just making music,巴比奇说.

他的妻子, 米凯拉巴比克, attended High Plains when she was a student and has been bringing students to the event for 12 years. This year, she brought 10 choir students from Bridgeport.

She sees several benefits for her students.

“They get the opportunity to do things musically beyond what we can do in our classroom. When you have the best of the best all in one place, they can take things one step further,米凯拉·巴比奇说.

Nikki Bunnell from Mitchell has been attending for three years and this year brought four choir students.

“It’s the most I've ever brought and one student received a three-year award,”她说。. “They get to do a higher level of music. The kids who are in my classroom, working extremely hard, appreciate the harder level. It's not always possible when you have a mixed group. So, when they come here, they’ve practiced, and the end product is a much higher level.”

Bunnell, who graduated from CSC in 2018, said she had Dr. Joel Schreuder as her choral director.

“He teaches very differently from how I teach, so my students get to see a whole new style of teaching. They get to meet new people and see what campus is like,” Bunnell said.

She appreciated the professional development session for the teachers.

“Dr. Tracz spoke about building his program by getting himself out there. He became the director of his community band. He took the students to play and welcome teams home even in the middle of the night as the bus pulled in, which I think is very interesting. 他的动画. He's got a lot of good things to teach,” Bunnell said.

荣誉的乐队

4年                

来自南卡罗来纳州卡斯特的艾玛·阿普(Emma Arp).D.

Taya Butler of Hill City S.D.

Amanda Kittell of Chadron

Toni McGinley of Mitchell, Neb.

格林的伊桑·普罗科普说

Allan Tullis of Gordon/Rushville, Neb.

3年                

Danika Bohl of Mitchell, Neb

Landen Branstiter of Alliance, Neb.

Anna Cheek of Mitchell, Neb.

Jodean Chesley of Chadron, Neb.

Katie Eckhardt of Bridgeport, Neb.

Ethan Euneau of Hill City, S.D.

Amelia Her Many Horses of Oelrichs, S.D.

Lily Kadolph of Gering, Neb.

Daulton Mangas of Alliance, Neb.

Jayse Marez of Mitchell, Neb.

Natalie Peterson of Gering, Neb.

Lucy Rischling of Chadron

Taya Ritterbush of Hot Springs, S.D.

Skye Schultz of Custer, S.D.

Lukah Schwery of Mitchell, Neb.

Grant Springer of Valentine, Neb.

Alex Williams-Hardy of Chadron

荣誉合唱团

4年

Aubrey Milburn of Chadron        

Delaney Pohl of Bridgeport, Neb.              

Eden Strawn of Bridgeport, Neb.               

3年                

Lucas Booe of Sidney, Neb.

Shirley Cotant of Mitchell, Neb. 

内布拉斯加州悉尼的泰·格鲁宁说.

Deanna Horst of Sidney, Neb.

Marybelle Ward of Valentine, Neb.          

内布拉斯加州悉尼的德鲁·韦默说.        

Mason Wilkes of Torrington, Wyo.