WCMS concert band turns in ‘superior’ performance
Warren County Middle School concert band walked away with all-superior ratings after performing two selections March 9 in Cookeville High School’s Upper Cumberland Concert Festival. Pieces the band presented for judging were March for Freedom by Steve Hodges and Denbridge Way by James Swearingen. Duane Farnham and Jennifer Cupples direct the middle school band program.
“The competition scores can range from superior as the highest to good as the lowest,” noted Farnham. “Ours was the only middle school band at the festival to score all superiors. This is quite a compliment because each judge is a seasoned musician and two are college level educators. Our young musicians are pleased that their dedication and hours of rehearsal have been recognized in this fashion.”
This band program consists of students from Centertown, Dibrell, Eastside, Irving College, Morrison elementary schools, WCMS, and select freshmen from the high school. Playing in the concert band are seventh-, eighth- and ninth-graders with the beginning band primarily made up of sixth-graders. In its first year, the Pioneers of Jazz band consists of seventh, eighth and select sixth grade students and welcome those who are interested in learning to play in the jazz idiom.
In late April, the concert band will travel to St. Louis, Mo., for the Music in the Parks concert contest. This is the first time the middle school band will compete on a national scale.
These contests, however, are not the only focus for the group. The seventh and eighth grade students in the concert band also made up the pep band for the middle school football games. They attended every home game and offered their support at the Cookeville game. The annual Holiday Concert was featured Dec. 13 and a concert saluting Music in the Schools Month was held March 5.
Each of the three band ensembles are looking forward to performing in an upcoming tour of the elementary schools in the county during April.
“This is our main recruiting effort for next year’s beginning band,” said Cupples. “Prior knowledge of how to play an instrument or even how to read music is not a requirement to join the band. That information is taught in the first year. If any fifth grader in the county is even remotely interested in music, we encourage them to join the band program.”
The middle school ensembles will participate in the high school band’s annual Pork and Bands events slated April 20. This year’s final concert, A Salute to America, will be held May 21 at the middle school auditorium. There will be a special guest performer and possibly a few surprise guests. Everyone in the community is invited and those who have served in the armed forces are especially encouraged to attend.