Staff Writer
Mayah Collins
TARBORO —
Thursday night, 120 middle-and-high school students participating in this year’s Band Fest proved that art is more than a visual display of one’s creativity.
At Edgecombe Community College’s Keihin Auditorium, the Middle and High School Honors Bands played music they learned in just seven hours on Thursday.
Students from four middle schools— C.B. Martin, Phillips, South Edgecombe, West Edgecombe — and three high schools— North Edgecombe, SouthWest Edgecombe, Tarboro High — had the opportunity to share the various music styles they learned and show the value of teamwork.
Students who participated were specifically selected to be a part of this program by their band directors and music was given to the students to learn weeks in advance.
Each band was provided a guest director to help make their music come alive.
Barney B. Barker, band director at A.G. Cox Middle School in Winterville, said, “I think it is very important that the kids are exposed to different styles of music. It’s just phenomenal when you see them play for the very first time. They have done a lot of work today and I am proud of them. Hopefully, they will take all of this to their schools and build on what they have learned.”
“It’s been pretty unique,” Leonides Nieves, III, band director at Nash Central High School in Rocky Mount, added. “I had a fun time teaching them. I really appreciated their hard work today. To pull off all of this in one day, I was really impressed with their playing ability. Playing in any of the arts is very important and I hope that they got something out of the experience.”
