HMS to host PMEA District 1 Elementary Band Fest
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HMS to host PMEA District 1 Elementary Band Fest
Zachary D'Amico
Hampton Middle School will host the PMEA District 1 Elementary Band Fest – Allegheny West on March 4-5, two years after the event was canceled due to the onset of the pandemic.
Beginning at 2 p.m. on Saturday, March 5, in the Hampton Middle School auditorium, this honors band concert will feature over 100 fifth and sixth graders from elementary and middle schools in the western half of Allegheny County. Rehearsals will take place on Friday, March 4, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., and Saturday from 9 a.m. to noon in the HMS auditorium.
“We are honored to host the PMEA District 1 Elementary Band Fest at Hampton Middle
School,” said Dr. Marlynn Lux, HMS Principal. “I am extremely proud of all of the young musicians who have been invited to showcase their musical talents. This is a testament to their hard work and dedication.”
The following Hampton students were selected and will perform during the PMEA District 1 Elementary Band Fest:
- Lyla Carroll, flute
- Lindsay Schutzman, flute
- Gianna Morelli, clarinet
- Richard Ma, alto saxophone
- Lilianna Mazzotta, tenor saxophone
- Brendan Sprankle, trumpet
- Sydney Osborne, trombone
- Aiden Rauso, trombone
- AJ Saponsky, baritone horn
- Jenna Backus, tuba
- Seth Mihok, percussion
“The participants in this honors band event are top band students from each school who are nominated by their band director and selected through an application process,” said Mr. Sean Desguin, Elementary Band Director. “It will give our students a chance to meet peers from other schools and play more challenging repertoire.”
HMS was slated to host the event in 2020, but the event was canceled the day before due to the onset of the pandemic. Mr. Desguin would like to give a special thank-you to his fellow Hampton band teachers, Shannon Shaffer, Laura Arledge, and Chad Himmler, for their help with the Band Fest.
“We are so excited to host this event at Hampton Middle School,” Mr. Desguin said. “It will be a great experience for everybody involved.”
The mission of the Pennsylvania Music Educators Association is to advance comprehensive and innovative music education for all students through quality teaching, rigorous learning, and meaningful music engagement.