Several Seventh and Eighth Grade Band Students from Oscoda’s Richardson Middle School participated in the Michigan School Band and Orchestra Association (MSBOA) Solo and Ensemble Festival which was held in Alpena at Thunder Bay Junior High School on Saturday, December 5. Students were evaluated by instrumental specialists in the areas of Tone, Intonation, Technique, Rhythm and Interpretation. Students earned the following ratings based on their performances:

Division I (Superior)
Division II (Excellent)
Division III (Good)
Division IV (Poor)
Division V (Unprepared)

Middle School students from 22 area school districts participated in Saturday’s event. Piano accompaniment for REMS students was provided by Karen MacGregor, second grade teacher at Cedar Lake Elementary.

Earning Division I Ratings (Superior): The Percussion Ensemble of Eric Dennis (bells), Ellie Dumaresq (congas), Asia Frei (xylophone), Bradley Gresens (marimba), Ariana Hickson (guiro), Taylor Huitema (baritone saxophone), Kashawndra Johnson (bongos), Zak Kasky (marimba), Taylor Morse (timbales and cowbell), Molly O’Reilly (maracas), Paige Senn (xylophone), Lauren Skidmore (claves) who performed “Big Yellow Mambo” by David Steinquest

Clarinet Soloist Taylor Morse who performed “Minuet” by Franz Schubert

Mixed Duet Asia Frei (tenor saxophone) and Lauren Skidmore (trumpet) who performed “Friends” by Clay Smith

Mixed Duet Taylor Huitema (baritone saxophone) and Bradley Gresens (tuba) who performed “Processional” by Haag

Trumpet Duet Amanda Gilliam and Lauren Skidmore who performed the waltz, “Sibyl” by Forrest L. Buchtel

Mixed Duet of Ariana Hickson (flute) and Paige Senn (trumpet) who performed “Trumpet Voluntary” by Jeremiah Clarke

Flute Duet Lauren Cox and Kashawndra Johnson who performed the waltz, “Sibyl” by Forrest L. Buchtel

Trumpet Soloist Lauren Skidmore who performed “St. Anthony’s Chorale and Rondo” by Franz Josef Haydn

Mixed Duet Ariana Hickson (flute) and Taylor Morse (clarinet) who performed the traditional English melody “All in a Garden Green” and “Menuett” by J.S. Bach

Flute Soloist Ariana Hickson who performed “Serenade” by Franz Josef Haydn Baritone Saxophone soloist Taylor Huitema who perfomed “Canon in D” by Johann Pachelbel

Trumpet Soloist Paige Senn who perfomed “Le Tambourin” by Jean Philippe Rameau

Trombone Soloist Amanda Harrison who performed “The Marshall” by Leonard B. Smith

Earning a Division II (Excellent) Rating:

Woodwind Duet Katherine Murphy (clarinet) and Asia Frei (tenor saxophone)

Mixed Duet Ashley Flowers (clarinet) and Paige Senn (trumpet) Clarinet Soloist Molly O’Reilly

Flute Trio Lauren Cox, Brittney Flanagan and Emily Koski

Flute Soloist Catee Maher

Clarinet Trio Mykala Jeske, Katherine Murphy, and Megan Tester

Clarinet Soloist Katherine Murphy Clarinet Soloist Kayla Wade

Tenor Saxophone Soloist Asia Frei

Mixed Trio Taylor Huitema (baritone saxophone), Amanda Harrison (trombone) and Bradley Gresens (tuba)

Clean out your attic and donate any tubas, trombones or trumpets that you find to Oscoda’s Band Program. Look under your bed and give us your oboes, bassoons and horns! Consider giving us the drums, clarinets and flutes that you find in your basement. Pull that saxophone out of your closet and let the band have it! We have students in need of instruments to use for band, and we’ll take yours no matter what shape it is in, no matter how old it is and no matter how it smells!

Please feel free to drop your donations off in the offices of Cedar Lake Elementary, Richardson Elementary/Middle School or Oscoda Area High School during their regular business hours (7:30 a.m. – 3:30 p.m.).