Oskaloosa MS Students Selected For Honor Band
Representing Oskaloosa in the District Honor Band concert in Iowa City will be the following:
Sienna DeJong, flute – Leah VanMaanen, flute – Christen Flatt, bass clarinet – Annie Fitzpatrick, alto saxophone – Melissa Moorman, French Horn – John Hammes, trumpet – Mason VanEngelenhoven, trumpet (submitted photo)
Oskaloosa, Iowa – Thirteen Oskaloosa Middle School band students were among more than 400 middle and junior high students from Southeast Iowa who auditioned for selection into the Southeast Iowa Bandmaster Association Honor Band. Each year Fairfield High School hosts the auditions. The students were expected to prepare their chromatic and nine major scale, many two octaves, and two etudes.
Competition was difficult, with less than half being accepted into the two honor bands. Students auditioning included Claire Fiechtner on oboe, Sienna DeJong and Leah VanMaanen on flute, Cassie Nimtz on clarinet, Christen Flatt on bass clarinet, Annie Fitzpatrick on alto saxophone, Kinsey Cook and Melissa Moorman on French Horn, Maggie Fitzpatrick, Nick Reiter, John Hammes and Mason VanEngelenhoven on trumpet, and Summer Smith on trombone. Seven OMS students were selected for inclusion into the honor bands.
Representing Oskaloosa in the District Honor Band concert in Iowa City
will be the following:
Sienna DeJong, flute
Leah VanMaanen, flute
Christen Flatt, bass clarinet
Annie Fitzpatrick, alto saxophone
Melissa Moorman, French Horn
John Hammes, trumpet
Mason VanEngelenhoven, trumpet
Guest conductors for the two middle school honor bands included Kim Benson and David Lang. Ms. Benson is currently part of the instrumental staff at Pella Community Schools, a position she previously held In Oskaloosa David Lang is currently in his 20th year at Independence High School.
Additional congratulations goes to John Hammes, trumpet for his selection to the IBA All-State Honor Band. His selection to the state-wide honor based was based on his exemplary audition is the
highest honor a middle school band student can achieve. The Middle School All-State Band will perform in May at the Iowa Bandmasters Association convention in Des Moines.
