On October 23rd the Messiah University trumpet professor -Dr. Stowman- visited with both the high school and middle school band. This visit wasn’t anything new for the high school band since they’ve worked with many directors and musicians. As for the middle school band, this has been their first visit since before COVID-19, making this a big deal. Dr. Stowman workshopped two pieces with both bands, The middle school worked on “Funkin, Rockin’ Choo Choo” by Richard L. Saucedo, and “Dark Adventure by Ralph Ford”. The high school worked on Movement III of “Second Suite” in F by Gustav Holst and “Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing” by Randall D. Strandridge. 

While Dr. Stowman was at the school, Mr. Jones took the opportunity to have some of the trumpets in both middle and high school sections take individual lessons. Juliette Hall says, “ I really enjoyed working with Dr. Stowman because he appreciated our playing and added to it by giving us tips. I liked that he showed us some warmups we could try and how he reminded us that our instruments aren’t the only thing in the equation when making sound. He brought his instrument to play with us and I liked how he didn’t try to act better than us when he was playing instead he was making strong points on the pieces we needed help with. The only thing I didn’t like about that experience was how short it was “ The band is all for digging deep into their music, perfecting small details to make their good piece great. These nuanced conversations let the band grow musically. 

Dr. Stowman isn’t the only special guest to be at the school. On November 6th the band had Mrs. Penvose visit. Mrs.Penvose was the school’s old director and worked here until 1999 before switching to work at Curwensvile for 19 years before retiring. Mrs. Penvose worked on the same two pieces Stowman worked on plus one,  “Scream” by Randall D. Standridge. Scream is a part of a Commission Consortium Project and our school is one of approximately 150 schools in the nation to world premiere this piece this fall. 

Finally, on December 16, Dr. Zach Collins of IUP will come in. He is nationally renowned and considered one of the top five tuba players in the country, even being asked to play in movie scores. He plans on working with the high school on some of the band’s spring pieces and hopefully having individual lessons with low brass.