Music program does Mt. Pleasant proud

MT. PLEASANT — With snow and ice delaying many activities across Iowa this month, it is not surprising that the Mt. Pleasant Community School District’s music program also saw delays and cancelations. Thanks to the persistent hard work of students and staff, however, the program still saw success at the Southeast Iowa Band Association Honor Band over the weekend.

While the Mt. Pleasant music department expressed disappointed at canceling the Jazz Band Clinic and Variety Show the second weekend in January, they didn’t let that keep them down as they barreled ahead with preparations and eventual victories at SEIBA.

According to Middle School Band Director Adam Creager the following high school students were selected for SEIBA:

Senior Drake Landau on guitar with the SEIBA Honor Jazz Band

Senior Jolynn Keomanivong for a second year as first chair tenor sax in the SEIBA Concert Band

Sophomore Elias Heaton on contra bass clarinet in the SEIBA Concert Band

“The high school band commissioned 2 new pieces and got to meet the composers too!,” Creager shared. “Extra congratulations to Jolynn Keomanivong for being the third-place winner of the Major Landers Scholarship this year in SEIBA. An award given only to student planning to major in Music Education at an Iowa College or University. Mt. Pleasant was well represented!!”

Creager also stated 10 middle school students auditioned for SEIBA and seven received recalls for a second round of auditions and four were selected for the SEIBA Honor Band.

Middle school students selected included eighth-grader Chris Carapia-Segundo on the Tenor Sax, eight-grader Swaylin Henderson on the Clarinet, and seventh-grader Michael Gossen on the Alto Sax.

Not only was eighth-grader Carly Mullin was selected on the bass Clarinet for the SEIBA Honor Band, but she was also selected to perform with the All-Iowa 8TH Grade IBA Honor Band in May.

Just the week before Creager worked tirelessly and patiently on snow days to set up a space for the Mt. Pleasant Middle School’s sixth grade band to record for their own audition to play at the IBA annual conference in Des Moines in May.

According to Creager, the preparation for this recording session not only took months of preparation with the middle school musicians, but also two and half hours of moving equipment to fit on a stage for recording.

“Having two days off of school and never having played a concert in this space before I have no idea how this recording will turn out,” Creager said in anticipation of the recording.

Thursday, Jan. 11, under the direction of Laura Westfall, the band took to the stage and recorded their submission as Creager ran technical equipment for the recording.

Comments: AnnaMarie.Ward@southeastiowaunion.com