Jr. County Band

Today I found a photograph that reminded me of the event that changed the way I viewed concert band forever. This photo was taken at the 2012 Jr. County Band festival. I was in eighth grade when I attended this festival. I sat first part, second chair on alto saxophone. I was overjoyed at the opportunity to participate with my friends who had been in Jr. County Band since 5th grade. Because only 8 alto saxophones are accepted per festival, my school did not receive the chance to send any until I was in eighth grade.  This is because they select how many of each instrument a school can send via lottery drawings. The director in this picture is Mr. S. He is the former high school band director and at the time, was the elementary band director. He is also my private instructor. When I received the opportunity to attend Jr. County Band, he and I were overjoyed and spent months preparing the music so I could receive a high position upon re-auditioning. At this festival, my eyes were opened to just how many musically inclined students our county has.  All of the students got to make new friends as well as work with a guest conductor. This guest conductor united all of the students together and has us playing difficult music as if we were a group who had been together for years. My week-long experience at Jr. county band opened my eyes and started the spark that lead to the passionate musician I am today.