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Students Perform in Intercollegiate Band

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   Nine University of Arkansas at Monticello band students performed Feb. 17 in the Arkansas Intercollegiate Band at Hot Springs. 

   Danielle Ayres placed fourth chair in the alto saxophone section, Christi Allen placed second chair tenor sax, Brad Fryar placed seventh chair in the trombone section, Nicole Payton placed second chair in the baritone saxophone section, Johnathan Bradley placed sixth chair in the tuba section, Thaddeus Webb placed eleventh out of 13 trumpets, Kelly Martin Placed 22nd out of 24 flutes, and Kasey Earl and Don Johnson played various parts in the percussion section. The students worked hard to get ready for this experience by practicing scales and sight reading. 

   The nine played with other college students from throughout the state under the direction of David Holsinger, a composer and band director. He wrote two of the five pieces on the program.

   Webb said a student asked how Holsinger felt about his music.   

   "This music is all my emotions written on paper and I give it to you to perform," Holsinger said.   

   The band played Holsinger's "To Tame the Perilous Skies” and John Phillip Sousa's "The Gallant Seven" before winter weather cut the program short. 

   The students expressed a range of emotions about their experience in the band.   

   "Hard can't even compare to how hard I wanted to participate in this band," Webb said.  

   Other students expressed it in words like "incredible," "hard," "cool" and "difficult." 

   "It was one of the better musical experiences in my life," Fryar said.   

   Johnson said he benefited from the experience.

   "It was amazing playing under David Holsinger," he said. "I really learned a lot."