By Delaney Jackson

Online Editor

The Blue Springs South Jaguar Pride band competed at the Eighth Annual Windband festival in Dallas and came away Grand Champions of the competition.

Band director Ken Hansen said the performance they put on was the performance of a lifetime.

“We were absolutely magnificent. It was one of our absolute best performances, and the stage was incredible. It was one of those experiences where the student’s energy and focus made everything come together,” said Hansen.

The competition they were at had 34 bands that competed.

“It was a competition that we went to, but we didn’t go into it with the competition mindset. We ended up being Grand Champions of the competition. This was a huge deal for us because we are the first band outside of Texas to win a Grand Champions title” said Hansen

Senior alto saxophone player Michael Herman says the feeling was unbelievable.

“I was really happy, there are a lot of really good bands that go down there. To take first place in the competition was just amazing, because the bands in Texas are amazing. It was so fun because we had such an incredible performance,  and I’m just really happy,” said Herman.

As well as being named Grand Champions, the band also had two students named outstanding soloists: Bethany Rogers, a senior clarinet player, and Elise Dryer, a sophomore piano/percussion player.

The band members have been working hard for this all year, and they were honored to get the chance to perform. They left Wednesday, April 13th. Michael Herman says he was excited to go.

“Hansen told the whole band about the trip at the beginning of the year. I was really excited to go, it was a big deal for us,” said Herman.

This was a big deal because this was the first time a Missouri band had been accepted to go. Hansen says they have been working on getting in for a few years.

“I started investigating it a few years ago. Every two years the band has a chance to go out of the state for a competition. I began the process of asking questions and telling them about our program, and last year I told the band that we were going,” said Hansen.

They took two different bands down: Wind Symphony and Symphonic bands. The Wind Symphony, which consists of about 40 people, played 3 songs; “Danzon #2”, “Cossack March”and “Hymn to the Sun with the Beat of Mother Earth”. The symphonic band also played three songs: “Summer Resounding,” “Orion,” and “Lightning Field.”

The symphonic band combined the freshman band and symphonic band together. Sophomore trumpet player Parker Ellis talked about combining the bands together.

“We would come in after school and practice with the freshman band to get ready for the performance,” said Ellis.

The arena they performed in was the Myerson Center. Prior to going on the trip, Michael Herman was looking forward to preforming there.

“I was really excited to play in the arena; it’s gorgeous. It’s designed to sound magnificent,” said Herman.

Aside from the performance, the band also had time to have fun in Dallas. Senior clarinet player Curtis Brownfield says they did many things while on the trip.

“We went to Six Flags, Ripley’s Believe it or Not, a Medieval Times restaurant, and some other fun things,” said Brownfield.

The band had a stellar performance in Dallas, and the judges thought so too. The judges left comments on how the South bands did in their performances.

“That was fun!” “Very nice work,” wrote Jon D. Lee, director of percussion at SMU.

“Your performance today was thrilling,” said Robin Owens, clarinetist in the Dallas Wind Symphony and band director in the Plano ISD.

“I have heard many major university bands that do not come close to your skill, craft and musical artisty,” wrote John Whitwell, director of bands emeritus from Michigan State University.