Waukon High School Band completes successful Spring Contest season
Waukon High School Band ... Left to right - Front row: Trinity Protsman, Allia Ericson, T’laiyah Leiran, Leah Schnitzler; Second row: Norah Palmer, Corissma Maruna, Adrian Weipert, Roslin Smith, Nikki Knudson, Megan Huinker, Noah Evans, Wyatt Connelly, Tate Ellingson; Third row: Tobias Treptau, Adelynn Connelly, Jada Protsman, Eireann Goettel, Sean Engle, Kevin Troester, Jaedyn McGuire, Gabe Sellers, Gus Benjegerdes, Annie Ellingson; Back row: Director Mrs. Jo Ann Sherman, Marcus Gebel, Kallie Troester, Dekota Bechtel, Zach Strittmater, Roland Melcher. Submitted photo.
The end of the school year does not come easily to the members of the Waukon High School Band. The band participated in the Iowa High School Music Association (IHSMA) State Solo and Ensemble Festival March 29 and the State Large Group Concert Band Festival May 9.
While these two events have approximately five weeks between them, Band Director Jo Ann Sherman points out that the month of April can be a very busy month at the high school with Iowa Statewide Assessment of Student Progress (ISASP) testing and the Easter break breaking up the band’s rehearsal schedule.
At the Solo and Ensemble Festival, the band had 14 soloists and 13 ensembles perform. Each event performed for a single judge who critiqued their performance and gave them a rating. The band received 11 Division I ratings, 15 Division II ratings and one Division III rating on the day.
Division I soloists included: Tate Ellingson - French Horn, Allia Ericson - Flute, Trinity Protsman - Flute, Noah Evans - Alto Saxophone, Annie Ellingson - Tenor Saxophone, and Eireann Goettel - Baritone Saxophone.
Division I ensembles included: Mixed Woodwind Quintet (Allia Ericson, Norah Palmer, Megan Huinker, Tate Ellingson, Nikki Knudson), Saxophone Quartet (Noah Evans, Wyatt Connelly, Annie Ellingson, Eireann Goettel), Saxophone Trio (Noah Evans, Annie Ellingson, Eireann Goettel), Mallet Duet (Marcus Gebel and Roland Melcher), and Woodwind Choir (Trinity Protsman, Allia Ericson, T’Laiyah Leiran, Leah Schnitzler, Megan Huinker, Norah Palmer, Corissma Maruna, Adrian Weipert, Roslin Smith, Nikki Knudson, Noah Evans, Wyatt Connelly, Annie Ellingson, Eireann Goettel).
Division II Soloists included: Norah Palmer - Clarinet, Megan Huinker - Oboe, Toby Trepau - Trumpet, Adelynn Connelly - Trumpet, Jada Protsman - Trumpet, Roland Melcher - Snare Drum, and Marcus Gebel - Snare Drum and Mallet Percussion.
Division II Ensembles included: Flute Quartet (Trinity Protsman, Allia Ericson, T’Laiyah Leiran, Leah Schnitzler), Mixed Woodwind Trio (Allia Ericson, Megan Huinker, Norah Palmer), Trumpet Quartet (Tobias Treptau, Adelynn Connelly, Jada Protsman, Tate Ellingson), Tuba Duet (Sean Engle and Kevin Troester), Percussion Ensemble (Dekota Bechtel, Kallie Troester, Marcus Gebel, Roland Melcher, Zach Strittmater), Brass Choir (Tobias Treptau, Adelynn Connelly, Jada Protsman, Tate Ellingson, Gabe Sellers, Jaedyn McGuire, Sean Engle, Kevin Troester), and a Mixed Instrument Ensemble (Tobias Treptau, Tate Ellingson, Annie Ellingson, Noah Evans).
The Waukon High School Concert Band performed in Decorah at the State Adjudication Festival Friday, May 9 for a panel of three judges. The scores from the three judges are averaged, giving the band its final rating. The band performed music selections of Rippling Watercolors by Brian Balmages and Declaration Overture by Claude T. Smith for the festival.
The judges were complimentary in their comments and critique of the band. The band earned an overall final rating of a Division I. This is the band’s 11th Division I rating under the direction of Jo Ann Sherman.
