Twelve band students at Genoa and Heritage middle schools will perform in the Ohio Music Education Association District 15 Middle School Honor Band at a free public performance 4 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 20 in Thomas Worthington High School’s auditorium.
The students include:
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Genoa eighth-graders - Jazlynn Allen, trumpet; Lyla Bjerke, flute; and Owen Frizzell, french horn.
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Genoa seventh-graders - Mason Phifer, trumpet; and Jude Thayer, trombone.
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Heritage eighth-graders - Addie Gurgiolo, trumpet; Desmond Okantey, percussion; and David Weaver, tuba.
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Heritage seventh-graders - Owen Christoff, tenor saxophone; Olivia Jajack, flute; Jack Rodstrom, tuba; and Ben Rutti, percussion.
Genoa Middle School’s Director of Bands is Kristy Shaffer-May and Heritage Middle School’s Director of Bands is Chris Kuhn.
Since 2001, seventh- and eighth-grade musicians across the region have been nominated by their band directors to participate in a 65-piece honor band at each grade level during the Ohio State Middle School Honor Band Festival. During the one-day event, bands could rehearse and perform with festival guest conductors in addition to side-by-side rehearsals with multiple music educators from Central Ohio.
The annual festival is on hiatus until the completion of the new School of Music at Ohio State.