The Davis Middle School 7th and 8th grade bands recently performed their fall music concerts to a standing room only crowd.  The 7th grade band performed an excellent concert presenting the pieces Voyageur March by Frank Halferty, Rising Star by Ed Huckeby, Clouds by Anne McGinty and The Debonair Dragon by John Edmondson.  Senior Scioto band member, Taylor Evans, conducted one of the pieces as a part of a music internship under middle school band director, Suzann Barrett.  It’s hard to believe just how far this band has come since first picking up instruments just a little over a year ago.

The 96 member 8th grade band performed extremely well considering they have to be split between two practice rooms in order to accommodate all their members.  They performed Star Wars Episode III, Revenge of the Sith, arranged by Michael Story, Slane arranged by Douglas E. Wagner, Repercussions by Robert W. Smith, Barrier Reef by Robert Sheldon, Let Freedom Ring arranged by James D. Ployhar, and what seemed to be a student favorite, Panther in the Sky by James Swearingen.  Superbly executed, Panther in the Sky was a complicated piece but the 8th grade band showed they were up to the challenge.  Their overall performance proved they will be an exciting addition to the high school band next year.  

The uniformed Scioto marching band gave an encore performance, their sound filling every corner of the auditorium as they exhibited the fun and majesty of being a member of the high school band.  As an added spark, the high school band directors tossed spirit wear t-shirts from this year’s show to any 8th grader lucky enough to catch one.