Congratulations to student musicians from Otselic Valley who were selected to study and perform in the Association of Chenango Area Music Teachers (ACAMT) 2024 Spring Music Festival held last weekend at Sidney High School:
Junior Band
Bella Sayles, Baleigh DuBois, Maddi Miller, Izzy Neal
Senior Band
Josie Guernsey, Lilly Palmer
These Vikings had an opportunity to work intensively with guest conductors who directed select bands with students from the Afton, Bainbridge-Guilford, Greene, Harpursville, Norwich, Oxford, Sherburne-Earlville, Sidney, and Unadilla Valley school districts.
All-County music is carefully chosen to challenge students–the music can be difficult and practice is long, and they learn about the exacting expectations of guest conductors. Students prepare ahead of time with band directors at their home schools, and then it’s go time. Musicians traveled to Sidney to meet students from other schools, rehearsed for hours with their All-County bands, and celebrated the culmination of their hard work with a formal concert performance in a packed auditorium.
This year, the Junior Band Guest Conductor was Mr. Benjamin Rochard. He teaches at the Ithaca College School of Music and is Assistant Director of Bands. He also directed the University of Florida Concert Band and assisted with the U. F. athletic bands while teaching courses in conducting, music education, jazz improvisation, and more. He has guest-conducted honor bands and chamber music in seven states, and led the Ithaca College Wind Symphony in a performance at Alice Tully Hall in New York City’s Lincoln Center.
The Senior Band Guest Conductor was Dr. Daniel Cook. He is Director of Bands and Assistant Professor of Music Performance at Ithaca College. He is Artistic director and conductor of the renowned Ithaca College Wind Ensemble, and administers the I. C. band program. He previously taught at the University of North Texas, and was also director of the 435-member Green Brigade Marching Band. Cook’s ensemble performances have been acclaimed by composers, as well as audiences at state conferences and at the Music for All National Concert Band Festival. He is published in Teaching Music Through Performance, and has contributed to various albums.
Special thanks go out to OV’s own Mr. Taylor for preparing music students for this significant, competitive opportunity, and helping them during the festival.
Our applause keeps going for all Vikings in our bands who keep growing all year long, and for our students who took a chance on a new challenge. You did very, very well!