By Jim Bloch
More than 900 middle school musicians from 36 middle schools in southeastern Michigan were nominated for the District XVI Michigan School Band and Orchestra Association’s 33rd annual honors bands. Only 228 musicians were selected.
The 113-member seventh grade band and the 115-member eighth and ninth grade band each played rousing, imaginative five-song sets Sunday, April 12 at Lakeview High School in St. Clair Shores.
A special performance by the 22-member high school MSBOA District XVI Jazz All Stars, under the direction of Dr. Amanada Ross, professor of trumpet at Oakland University and director of the school’s jazz band, kicked off the musical afternoon.
Seventh Grade Honors Band
Scott Oranchak, the fine arts para-pro at L’Anse Creuse High North and assistant director of the concert bands, directed the Seventh Grade Honors Band.
“I want to thank all the students on the stage and their parents,” said Oranchak. “The students have been amazing especially through the last couple of long rehearsals.”
The second selection played by the band opened with all 113 members snapping their fingers, creating an uncanny aural facsimile of raindrops sweeping over a cottage roof. When the patter stopped, the music swelled.
The song? “After the Rain” by Matt Neufeld.
The band included nine members from St. Clair County middle schools: Margaret Collins, Marysville MS, flute; Violet Gottler, Marine City MS, clarinet; Noelle Kreger, St. Clair MS, clarinet; Valerie LaMarsh, Marysville MS, clarinet; Quinn Vogel, St. Clair MS, clarinet; Emma Dunnsmore, Marysville MS, bass clarinet; Adeline Collins, Marysville MS, trombone; Riley Corbat, Marysville MS, tuba; and Harrison Liniarski, Marine City MS, percussion.
Eighth & Ninth Grade Honors Band
Dr. Gregory Cunningham, professor of music and director of bands at Oakland University, helmed the Eighth & Ninth Grad Honors Band.
“Isn’t this a great group?” Cunningham asked the audience after the band’s tight performance of Richard Saucedo’s “Into the Clouds.” “These things are labors of love. The level of detail that goes into each performance is beyond most of our imaginations. This is a very special group of young people. They’re all leaders in their school’s orchestras.”
Ten musicians from St. Clair County middle schools made the cut and played in the honors band: Nina Oleaga, St. Clair MS, flute; Lillian Riebel, Marine City MS, flute; Kaleb Waite, Algonac MS, alto sax; Gavin Singles, Marysville MS, baritone sax; McKennah Deraedt, St. Clair MS, trumpet; Brooklyn Schienke, Algonac MS, trumpet; Caleb Martin, Marysville MS, French horn; Ally Roberts, St. Clair MS, trombone; Emery Smith, Marysville MS, percussion; and Alden Volz, St. Clair MS, percussion.
Band directors
James Kubinski directs the Algonac MS Band; Steven Fox leads the Marine City MS Band; Autumn Repshas directs the Marysville MS Band; and Scott Fryer heads the St. Clair MS band.
St. Clair Bands Centennial
Just before the MSBOA concert, which began at 4 p.m., Micah Volz, director of St. Clair Bands, led the high school band in the 100th anniversary of the band’s first performance on April 12, 1926. The concert, in the gym of SCHS, began at 2 p.m. About two dozen alumni joined the current band in the performance, which pushed it to 140 members.
Volz rushed from SCHS to Lakeview to watch his son Alden play percussion with the Eighth & Ninth Grade Honor Band.
Jim Bloch is a freelance writer based in St. Clair, Michigan. Contact him at bloch.jim@gmail.com.
