February 16, 2006

Six band members audition for  Honor Band Concert in Avon Park.

Denise Lam

“Because the band was larger, there were a lot more tubas and the sound seemed like it was twenty times louder and I could feel my heart pound faster when we were playing,” said Brittany Sandate.

The 9^th Annual Heartland Honor Band brought together the best students from DeSoto, Glades, Hardee, Highlands, and Okeechobee Counties and put on a concert. This year, six students from DeSoto were able to attend: Senior Sandate on 3rd clarinet, Juniors Robert Herron on lead trombone, Hanna Holland on 2nd tenor saxophone, Mark Negley on 6th trumpet, Robert Paul on 6th flute, and Johanna Valdez on 2nd trombone.

“The entire band did really good and all of our students played their part exceptionally well,” said Band Director, David Sulzman.

This was the first year that auditions were required. All band students had a chance, if they chose, to send in an audition tape that high school band directors from all over the Heartland region reviewed. The band directors chose who got to go and what seat they received.

The students who were chosen received their music a month before the concert and only had two days to practice with the full band at South Florida Community College at the Avon Park campus on January 26 and 27. The concert was held on January 27 at SFCC and they performed five pieces chosen by the guest clinician, James Samons from Vero Beach. The songs they performed were Blue Goose Rag, Daughter of Texas, Flourish for Band, Prairie Songs, and Vision of Flight.

“It was more demanding than normal music, but through it we were able to gain knowledge,” said Negley.