by Monica Brewer

Band is changing like the leaves during this fall season.  As band members shift from marching band to concert band, pep band, Winterguard, jazz band 1 and 2, and SWIBA, schedules are getting crazier.

Before concert band started, if a section had a lot of members, students had the choice to audition for chair placements.  Students had one and a half weeks to audition, and for it had to do an A-tune and three scales as fast and cleanly as they could.  They had a choice of either recording the audition on their own or with band teacher Jarrod O’Donnell.  Some students participated in the audition and received the higher chair honors.

Students that auditioned for All State had two choices: either they practiced for their auditions and did the chair placement, or risk it all by not doing the chair placement and just try to make All-State.  If they made All-State, that student automatically gets the highest chair in their section.

Pep band is rolling its gears towards its first date for playing, which is Dec. 3.  Music for this year is standard like most years, including such songs as “Forget You,” “Poker Face,” and “Eye of the Tiger.”  New music included into the playlist this year includes “Happy” from Despicable Me 2 that is from the Toon Tunes marching band show this year.  Hopefully, no drum sticks get broken this year (junior Corgan Peterson, I’m talking to you.)

The idea of Winterguard is treading on a steady pace.  Thr idea came from the number of kids showing interest of joining Colorguard during marching band season.  O’Donnell had a sign-up sheet for this activity, and around one-fourth of band students (and original Colorguard members) signed up on the sheet to join.  O’Donnell started talking about practice times, and is considering letting members perform during half-time this basketball season.  He also is considering going to a contest to see what Winterguard contests are like.

Jazz 1 and 2 have minor differences between them.  Jazz 1 members had to audition in order to join.  Two of the pieces that Jazz 1 are doing this year will include “Blues of the Cap” and “Sunset and the Mockingbird.”  Jazz 2 members didn’t have to audition in order to get into this activity, but Jazz 2 might not happen this year.  According to O’Donnell, there hasn’t been enough people signed up to have a Jazz 2.  Members of both bands perform at various events in Atlantic and contests (with Jazz 1 performing at more contests), including Popcorn Button and Bluffs Jazz Festival.

SWIBA (South West Iowa Band Association) auditions are coming up fast.  There are two types of bands students audition for: freshmen and sophomores can audition for the 9-10 band and juniors and seniors can audition for the 11-12 band.  Students audition with three scales that are picked out the day of auditions and an A-tune.  During the audition, judges can stop at anytime if they find a student’s audition excellent or not good enough for participating in the honor band.

The first band concert of the school year will be on Dec. 8, 2014, at 7:30 p.m.  The pieces that the band will be playing at the concert will be “Danse Bohemian,” “Greensleeves,” “Go Galop,” and “Northwoods: Of Might and Mettle.”