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The music departments of the three Loyalsock area schools offered several updates during a recent school board meeting.
Middle school band director and coordinator for the music department David Tini started with a new commission initiative that will bring composers to the district to write music specifically for those students.
This year's commission was written by Dr. Travis J. Weller, Ph.D., associate professor of music, department assistant chair and director of music education for Messiah University, and was performed by the seventh and eighth grade band during their March 27 concert.
"It's a grade three piece, which is fairly challenging for a seventh and eighth grade band," Tini said.
"It's a lot of fun," he said of the piece, which traverses time signatures of seven-eight, three-four and four-four.
"We're very excited to see the world premiere at our March concert. This will be the first time our band has done a project like this."
At the recent middle school junior county band festival 23 seventh and eighth grade students represented Loyalsock, Tini said, making up about 25% of the ensemble. Two clarinet solos were assigned to Loyalsock students.
A highlight of the presentation was a flute solo courtesy of eighth grader Tala Zaldivar.
Zaldivar was recently awarded a $500 scholarship after writing an essay and performing an audition in front of a board of music educators.
Next up, elementary school band director Emily Brumbaugh updated the board on several exciting developments, including their very own commission, courtesy of internationally known composer, conductor and clinician, Tyler S Grant.
"Grant's music is regularly featured on publishers' choice repertoire lists around the world and has been performed at world renowned venues including Carnegie Hall," Brumbaugh explained.
Schick's family band held their first annual concert on March 21.
The Family Band includes over 50 family members of student musicians who signed up to learn an instrument along with their child to perform at the concert, Brumbaugh explained.
Additionally, "the Loyalsock Township band boosters have established their Schick Play It Forward fund to assist elementary band students with subsidies for private music lessons and summer music camp."
The fund will allow all students, regardless of their socio-economic status, "to experience the benefits of academic achievement, a commitment to discipline, and the rewards of teamwork and collaboration that come from participating in music programs," she said.
High school band director Jessica Hopkins informed the board that a number of students have qualified for various Pennsylvania Music Educators Association (PMEA) band and choir festivals.
Students Kiersten Miller, James Neely, Gabriel Danley, Sienna Terpak, Katie Clapper will perform at the District 8 Band Festival, with Miller, Danley, Terpak and Clapper also performing at the Region IV Band Festival, and Noelle Collins performing at the District 8 Orchestra Festival.
Abigail Paz, Maria Blas, Marco Blas and Kate Richards will head to the District 8 Choir Festival, with Paz and Blas set to also perform at the Region IV Choir Festival.
Blas also qualified for All-State A Cappella, and will be performing in that state convention next week in Erie.
"This is Maria's third year qualifying for All-State, which is a really impressive achievement for anybody, but especially at the high school level," Brumbaugh said.
The high school jazz band recently performed at the first annual Williamsport City Jazz Orchestra Jazz Festival, where they worked with and learned from local musical professionals, and the symphonic Wind Ensemble will perform at Commonwealth University -- Lock Haven's President's concert on April 25, Brumbaugh told the board.
"As we continue to progress through our year, we look back to our fall marching band season, where our marching band earned a silver medal at their championships for the cavalcade of bands," Brumbaugh said. The band placed second out of 17 other bands in their division.
"There are lots of opportunities to come and hear some awesome music," Brumbaugh said, noting that the high school band spring concert will be May 23, with the high school choir performing May 28.
"We're thrilled to see our students flourish and grow up, and we look forward to continuing to share our music with you," she said.