By Jeremy D. Wells
Carter County Times
Five students from East Carter Middle School, and two from the East Carter High School band, recently participated in the KMEA District 8 All-District Band event in Ashland, culminating in a performance at the Paramount Arts Center.
Middle school students selected for the band included clarinet player Scarlett Hogan, bass clarinetist Riley Smith, and trumpet players Carmelita Dallaire, James Dyke, and Noah Roseberry.
Roseberry earned distinction by being chosen for the first chair position in the trumpet section. Band director Logan Skidmore said this was a notable distinction for a musician of his age.
“Noah made first chair trumpet for the middle school band, which is a pretty big deal,” Skidmore said. “He was going up against a pretty healthy number of trumpet players from around the area; and to score high enough to be first chair is a pretty awesome thing.”
The middle school band performed three selections, including Michael Sweeney’s Year of the Dragon, Midnight Sky by Brian Balmages, and Shipwrecked by Ryan Nowling, under the direction of Kelly Diamond.
The high school band was represented by Isaac Witter on bass clarinet, and Landon Newell on trumpet, performing Critical Mass, A Childhood Hymn, Jubilance, Selections from West Side Story, and To the Max, under the direction of Lawrence Banks.
Witter said that it was a “great experience.” The music was a little more challenging than what he typically encounters in bass clarinet parts, he said, which made it exciting to play.
“It was a little harder than the usual music that you get to play, but after being with the conductor and having him work through it, we got through it pretty well and by the end of it we… sounded great.”
Newell, who said he would like to pursue a career in music someday, found the experience very valuable for himself as well.
“Eventually I would like to become a music educator, and all-district encouraged me to do better and pursue that,” he said. “It’s also fun to be able to perform with a large ensemble and meet other kids and directors from the district.”
Witter, who said music is more likely to remain a hobby for him than a career path, agreed that it was a valuable experience to be able to play with other musicians and spend time with his friends.
“It was a great experience,” he said. “We got to spend the night in a hotel. We got to play with a bunch of other great players from all over (the region), and it’s a good time. We got to play some interesting pieces of music.” Contact the writer at editor@cartercountytimes.com
