February 25, 2024
By: Bill Conger
Six students in the D.C.H.S. Band made the final cut for the 61st annual Festival of Winds and Percussion at Tennessee Tech. Selected to perform in the first of two bands at the February 9-10 event were Ayden Jones, trumpet, Alexis Stanley, trumpet, Daniel Stiffler, clarinet, Marvin “B.J.” Mosley, tenor saxophone, Serenity Patterson and Karson Smallwood, percussion.
Students from Tennessee high school bands are selected after trying out over audio or video auditions. In early December students sent in their recorded try-out material that included performing major scales and two sight reading pieces (music they have never seen/played previously).
“They get the results when they arrive early morning February 9th,” Band Director Don Whitt explained. “They have been evaluated by a judge who is a professor in the music department at TTU. They are placed in either of two bands.”
Whitt says students learn their music during ten hours of practice over the two days.
“Also, there are wonderful times during the weekend where the students get to hear a concert by a professional band, several wind ensembles featuring professors on campus, and the TTU Jazz ensemble,” Whitt said. “If the students would like to go to University and major in music, this is one way to be recognized. You, as a student, get to meet faculty, experience what it is like on a college campus with other students your age that you may have the opportunity to one day perform with in band.”
Whitt said the special event also gave him and other music educators a chance to relive old times.
“I was able to see other educators when I was at the University of North Alabama that I had played with 36 years ago in honor band. We were just saying that if we did this over again, we would jump in and play with them…just to relive that experience. It is indeed fun to learn new pieces of music with great and talented people from just this state.”