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By Amy Gabbitas
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What sport requires all team members to play every minute of every game regardless of their ability? The players also dedicate several weeks every summer and early mornings during the school year to practice, often in extreme heat, rain or cold. Doing this teaches perseverance, hard work and dedication to the team. Hundreds of high school students all over the Nebo School District participate.
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The sport is marching band. Utah Valley has a long tradition of marching band. In recent years, the Nebo School District has fielded small bands, but the tide is changing. Recently I interviewed Christi Conover Babbitt. She and her husband, Ray, were both in the Springville High School Red Devil Marching Band in the mid-1980s. At that time, the SHS marching band had about 80 players and color guard members marching on the field. SHS traveled to Washington, D.C., in 1985 to march in President Ronald Reagan’s second inaugural parade.
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One of my favorite things about living in a small town is hearing stories like these from long-time residents. We moved here recently and our children march with Springville. This season they won third overall at Nebo Tournament of Bands and won first place for Color Guard at Brigham Young University’s Rocky Mountain Invitational competition. They also participated in the state finals in St. George and traveled to Disneyland. You probably heard them at SHS home football games or when they practiced marching up and down your street. Their strength is marching and visual. Musicality is where they struggle. With only 20 winds and 10 percussionists, producing a large sound is difficult but not impossible if they received more instruction.
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Chamber music is another ensemble where each member is vitally important. Aspen Winds Quintet and Boothe Brothers music are sponsoring a chamber music program at SHS focused on placing each concert band student in a small chamber group. The opening event for this program is a free family concert at the Covey Center for the Arts in Provo on Monday, January 4, 2016 at 7:30 p.m. It will feature the Aspen Winds and ballroom dancers Casey and Kayci Treu. Boothe Brothers Music will host the final concert in February. Former SHS band alumni or other instrumentalists interested in coaching one of these ensembles are welcome to volunteer. Any businesses that would like to offer small prizes as incentives would also be welcome. The goal is to get at least five groups to qualify for regional solo/ensembles in March. Let’s help this program continue to grow!
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More information can be found at www.aspenwinds.org or send an email to amy@aspenwinds.org.
