Sixty high school students – sophomores, juniors, and seniors – came to Catawba College on Tuesday, April 16, to participate in Catawba’s first Concert Band Invitational coordinated by Tara Harris and with Dr. Steve Etters as clinician. The students, from East Rowan, Salisbury, South Rowan, A.L. Brown, Stanly County, Jesse C. Carson, Davie County, West Rowan, Concord First Assembly Academy, and Lake Norman High Schools, had the opportunity to perform in Keppel Auditorium with Catawba’s Wind Ensemble, meet Music Department faculty, and tour campus facilities.
The high school students showcased their talents playing “The Walking Frog,” which featured a section of nine trombones; “Celebration;” “Three Folk Song Settings for Band;” and “All the Pretty Little Horses,” wherein the students sang part of the piece. The high schoolers came together with the Catawba Wind Ensemble to perform “I Heard It Through The Grapevine” at the conclusion of the concert.
“This was a wonderful opportunity to get budding musicians to our great campus, show them our facilities, and let them have a little taste of how life at Catawba could be,” shared Catawba Professor Tara Harris, director of athletic bands. “We were able to do sectionals with our music staff, where students could get a more personal feel for and from the music faculty.” High school music directors who attended the event with their students also received certificates for renewal credit for state licensures.
“Although this is the first Concert Band Invitational that we’ve offered, we would like to make this, and the Marching Band Invitational that we also started this year, an annual event. We hope to grow the Concert Invitational and be able to have two bands and include freshmen next year. We’re even brainstorming to create a two-day event which would make it even more memorable for the high schoolers.”
The planned date for the Marching Band Invitational is November 16, 2019, and dates for the Concert Band Invitational are April 13 and 14, 2020.
High school students interested in pursuing their music in college in either the marching band or the concert band should contact Dr. Steve Etters, chair of the Catawba Music Department, at scetters@catawba.edu, or Professor Harris, director of athletic bands, at taharris17@catawba.edu.
