MLPS bands from grades 5 through 12 share their music from the movies
The bands of Mountain Lake Public Schools’ Instrumental Director Kurt Jahnke presented their annual spring Pops Concert on Monday evening, May 5, in the school’s auditorium. Musicians from grades 5 through 12 performed on instrumental music selections from the movies.
Numbers presented featured the 6th Grade Band, the 5th-8th Grade Band, the Junior High (Grades 7 and 8) Band, the Senior High (Grades 9 -12) Band – and a mass 7th-12th Grade Band on a musical compilation from the movie, “Grease!”
An ice cream social followed the concert, also held in the school’s auditorium/gymnasium. During the social time, a variety of special instrumental groups performed, continuing the theme of movie music. Those groups included the Junior High “Groovalicious” Percussion Ensemble, the Junior High Jazz Band, the Senior High Percussion Ensembles and the Senior High Jazz Band.
Below are photographs from the evening’s concert performance line-up:
ISAAC GREV ADDS the deep bass notes from his tuba to the 6th Grade Band’s number, Michael Story’s “Creepy Crawlies.”
SAIGE WALL BLENDS in cool sax sounds as a member of the 6th Grade Band.
LUDWIG VAN BEETHOVEN’S “Joyful Rock” rocks the stage during the 5th-8th Grade Band combined number. Pictured are flutists from either end of that age bracket – fifth-grader Eryn Friesen, left and eighth-grader Jae Faber, right.
KEEPING THE PERCUSSIVE beat on one of three drum sets used during the three Junior High Band numbers is Ethan Klassen.
THE JUNIOR HIGH Band brought back memories of the Beatles with a pair of numbers written by John Lennon and Paul McCartney – “Yellow Submarine” and “Eight Days A Week.” In joint saxophone music are, from left, Maleek Stewart, Meredith Suess, Travis Willaby and Weston Osland.
A STRENGTH OF the Junior High Band is the depth of its clarinet section. From left, Amy Bartsch, Aleesha Jepsen, Victoria Hofmann, Dawn Geertsema, Jenneel Rodney and Marta Stoesz.
JUNIOR TUBA PLAYERS Alex Dunker, left and Eric Wenner, right, use their deep brass to add and aura of intrigue to the Senior High Band’s rendition of “The Dark Knight Rises,” by Hans Zimmer.
CELLIST REECE ENGLUND, a high school junior, incorporates his strings sounds into the Senior High Band.
BRIANNA JENSEN BRINGS her individualistic style to the music she makes with her trombone.
SENIOR HIGH BAND saxophones, Andrew Fast, left and Samuel Hirsch, right, focus on the same page of music.
THE SENIOR HIGH Band’s number, “Fusion Generator” by Ryan Fraley featured senior instrumentalist Christian Pfeiffer, who performed on both tenor sax, as pictured, as well as the electric guitar. At the Saturday, May 3 Instrumental Solo and Ensemble Contest, held at Jackson County Central Public High School, Pfeiffer was named “Best in Site” – earning a perfect score of 40 from the judges.
A TRIO OF seniors perform in their final band concert. From left, Andrew Hirsch and Tylor Duerksen on trombone, and Joshua Fast on French horn.
RACHEL DUKES, ANOTHER senior who will be graduating from high school next week, shares her floating flute music.
A BROAD LOOK at members of the combined 7th-12th Grade Band, as led by Director Kurt Jahnke. In fact, the joint group spilled over into the wings on both stage left and stage right.
