The Tyrone Area School District is hosting the 2004 Blair County Senior Band Festival tonight in the high school auditorium.
Tyrone’s Kris Laird, the district’s band director, was busy at work Tuesday making preparations for tonight’s event. Students from more than a half a dozen Blair County schools were busy rehearsing their selections for the festival while Laird, Greg Roberts of Bellwood-Antis and others worked behind the scenes to ready for the performance.
During yesterday’s rehearsals, guest conductor Dr. William Stowman readied more than 100 musicians for the event. Stowman is director of bands and chair of the music department at Messiah College in Grantham, PA. Stowman conducts many different types of band and choir ensembles at the college according to a biography printed in this evening’s program.
Under his direction, Messiah College ensembles have produced several compact disc recordings and American composer David Holsinger has requested the Messiah College Wind Ensemble to record the ninth volume of his music. The recording is scheduled to be released this fall. Stowman is a Pennsylvania native and attended IUP and Eastern Kentucky University. He holds degrees from both colleges and has worked at colleges in Kentucky and North Texas prior to his return to Pennsylvania.
Tonight’s performance will feature selections from Ralph Vaughan Williams, Fisher Tull, Malcom Arnold, Morten Lauridsen and John Phillip Sousa.
The following schools will be represented at tonight’s festival: Tyrone Area, Bellwood-Antis, Altoona, Central, Claysburg-Kimmel, Hollidaysburg and Williamsburg.
The local students at tonight’s event include the following Bellwood-Antis students: Jessica Fisher, flute I; Bethany McGeary, clarinet II; Amanda Shoenfelt, alto sax I; Lauren Otto, tenor sax; Alicia Speck, bari sax; Travis Hoover, trumpet I; Patrick Henry, baritone and Mike Seidel, percussion.
Tyrone Area students participating are: Jen Bryan, flute I; Wendi Taylor, flute I; Kristen Root, flute II; Jean Keller, Tyrone; Alicia Rodriquez, clarinet II; Leah Cherry, clarinet III; Katie Graudons, alto clarinet; Tim Stibitz, alto sax I; Kendall Markel, alto sax II; Ashley Turnbaugh, alto sax II; Doug Conrad, tenor sax; Mary Raffetto, bari sax; Stacy Shaffer, trumpet I; Erin Langenbacher, trumpet II; Mike Brinkman, trumpet III; Joe Houck, horn I; Elizabeth Kreckel, trombone I; Zach Zolten, trombone II; Sara Fink, trombone III; Adam Roth, trombone III; Zac Yeaton, baritone; Bill Hartsock, tuba; Morris Reese, tuba and Rob Rich, percussion.
Tyrone’s superintendent, Dr. William N. Miller is expected to make a welcoming statement followed by remarks by Laird and the playing of the Star Spangled Banner prior to the actual program.
Tonight’s event is scheduled to start at 7 p.m.
