Scott County students ready to make big sound in small school honor band concert Saturday

Scott County Central band members Autumn Boley (left), Kassidy Hornback (middle) and Madison Klaffer rehearse “Ghosts in the Graveyard” as Caroline Williams, director of bands, listens during class Thursday, Jan. 19 in the band room at Scott County Central High School. The three students, along with nine other SCC band students, were preparing for the Southeast Missouri Small School Honor Band concert set for 4 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 21 at the Scott City R-1 Visual and Performing Arts Center at Scott City High School. The concert, which features students from several local, small school districts, is free and open to the public. (Leonna Heuring/Standard Democrat)

Several students in local small school bands will showcase their talents in a large ensemble during a special concert set for Saturday in Scott City, Missouri.

The Southeast Missouri Small School Honor Band featuring students from several local school districts will perform in a concert set for 4 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 21 at the Scott City R-1 Visual and Performing Arts Center.

The concert is free and open to the public. However, goodwill donations are requested at the door to help cover the clinician fees.

Scott County Central band members rehearse “Ghosts in the Graveyard” as Caroline Williams, director of bands, listens during class Thursday, Jan. 19 in the band room at Scott County Central High School. SCC band students are among local small schools to participate in the Southeast Missouri Small School Honor Band concert set for 4 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 21 at the Scott City R-1 Visual and Performing Arts Center at Scott City High School. The concert, which will also feature band students from Oran R-3, is free and open to the public. (Leonna Heuring/Standard Democrat)

“Our goal with this event is to give students a chance to perform while keeping costs down on the schools that nominate their band members,”said Scott City R-1 Band Director Adam Carter, who also organized the event.

Schools represented in this year’s honor band include: Chaffee, Marquand Zion, Oak Ridge, Oran, Saxony Lutheran, Scott County Central, Scott City, St. Vincent-Cape, St. Vincent-Perryville, Trinity Lutheran and Woodland.

“This is the third time the event has happened as far as I can recall and has been hosted at Scott City and Oak Ridge in the past,” Carter said. “It is sponsored by the Southeast Missouri Band Directors Association. It has been cancelled the last few years due to COVID.”

Band students from the various small school districts will rehearse together early Saturday until time for their concert. Ron Sikes of Jefferson R-7 in Festus, Missouri, is this year’s clinician. He is a two-time East Central District Music Educator of the year who has been selected multiple times to perform with his band at the Missouri Music Educators Association Convention.

“Our band classes are small at Scott Central, and I am excited for our kids to experience the full band setting,” said Caroline Williams, director of bands at Scott County Central.

Twelve students from Scott County Central High School will participate in Saturday’s concert. They are seventh graders: Autumn Boley, TC Carlisle, Madison Klaffer, Mason Musgrove, Lexi Robertson and Pandora Smatilova; eighth graders: Audrey Casey, Jasarra Chavez, Kassidy Hornback, Audrina Kincade and Shyla Skeen; and high school student, Taryn Bridges.

Scott Central eighth grader Shyla Skeen said she was excited about the opportunity to play music with students from other schools on Saturday.

“I was nervous the first time going, but it’s fun. I think it’s going to be fun,” she said.

Four students from the Oran R-3 School District are also participating in Saturday’s concert. They are high school students Lily Knotts, Meredith Lawler and Camden Hahn; and junior high student Layla Gilliland.

Oran R-3 band teacher Samantha Gates said she appreciates the opportunity for her students to participate in the honor band because playing in a small school band has its limitations.

“With this opportunity, the students can have the experience of being involved in a large ensemble,” Gates said. “I went to a small high school and played in a small band. When I attended SEMO, the band program was larger and vastly different.

She continued: “I want to give my students that experience of being surrounded by other students just as excited about band as they are, and I’m happy there’s people like Adam Carter who are putting in the extra work to make this event possible.”