Our View: Hard work can strike a common chord
Strike up the band for a dozen Watauga County high school and middle school students. Wait ... they've already done that.
Early in February, 12 county band students received district honors by being chosen to attend Northwest District All-District Band in Winston-Salem. Notable is that these students were selected from among the entire Northwest Band District through auditions, including prepared solos, scales and sight-reading.
Such an accomplishment doesn't come easy. Public honor often follows intense private practice, and this is certainly the case with a musician.
For their efforts, these students -- Mary Margaret Zrull, Kylie Dolbier, Jill Turner, Gabrielle Knight, Avery Way, Andy Cook, Ross Robinette, Yoojin Oh, Caitlin Vines, Casey Stokes, Owen Warmuth and Aidan Williams -- deserve our applause.
But also deserving of recognition is the high school's band program itself. Without dedicated direction and support, even the most-talented student can hit few right notes when it comes to pursuing advancement within their own musical crafts.
A few days from now, on March 9, several of these students will attempt to advance further as they audition for All-State Band.
We wish them continued success, and the recognition of the efforts they make to our schools' band programs.
Early in February, 12 county band students received district honors by being chosen to attend Northwest District All-District Band in Winston-Salem. Notable is that these students were selected from among the entire Northwest Band District through auditions, including prepared solos, scales and sight-reading.
Such an accomplishment doesn't come easy. Public honor often follows intense private practice, and this is certainly the case with a musician.
For their efforts, these students -- Mary Margaret Zrull, Kylie Dolbier, Jill Turner, Gabrielle Knight, Avery Way, Andy Cook, Ross Robinette, Yoojin Oh, Caitlin Vines, Casey Stokes, Owen Warmuth and Aidan Williams -- deserve our applause.
But also deserving of recognition is the high school's band program itself. Without dedicated direction and support, even the most-talented student can hit few right notes when it comes to pursuing advancement within their own musical crafts.
A few days from now, on March 9, several of these students will attempt to advance further as they audition for All-State Band.
We wish them continued success, and the recognition of the efforts they make to our schools' band programs.