A shout out to BCSD’s band program that had a stellar 2023-24 school year!
BCSD Schools were well represented at the 2024 All County Honor Band. The process started in November of 2023 when students auditioned for placement in either the Middle School Honor Band or the High School Honor Band. Their audition consisted of performing a solo and demonstrating proficiency in sight-reading and performing scales. After placements, students received their music and came together for a full day and morning of rehearsal. The High School Clinician was Mr. Chaz Paxton the Director of Bands at D.W. Daniel High School in Greenville, SC and the Middle School Clinician was Mr. Trey Ferrell the Director of Bands at Pendleton High School in Pendleton, SC.
The following students represented each of their schools:
Hilton Head Island High School: Santiago Andrade, Jose Giraldo, Jeovani Eleuterio, Charlotte Alley
Bluffton High School: Tais Velazquez Perez, Ke’yari Kelly, Zulema Aguilar, Kenley Nolan, Jason Mullen, Jackson Turner, Rodrigo Garay Chavez, Kristina Fletcher, Luciana Bernardini, Princess Palacios, Cassie Brooks
May River High School: Angel Arellano, Keagan Claffy, Lyla Nguyen, John Phillip Schroeder, Anne Branch, Anthony Maldonado, Ruth Omasta, Morgan Walker, Lucas Greenaway, Ammy Manrique, Devon Nazim, Skylar Thornton, Aiden Armstrong, Leo Lopez, Lily Armstrong, Luke Bornscheuer, Diego Arellano-Reyes, Kaden Claffy, Ayden Coleman, Aiden Wood, Zach Lemon, Ryne McClure
Beaufort High School: Brea Parker, Christopher Tarver, Andrew White, Caleb Draisen, Camryn Thompson, Brooke Martin, John Schranz, David Barr, Jada Reid, Zacio Weeks
Whale Branch Early College High School: Destiney Delaney, Devine Person, Kevin Jenkins, Vontierra Kelly, Anthony Gaskin, Steven Colson Jr., Kalise Chaplin
H.E. McCracken Middle School: Addison Dea, Evan Dobbins-Rose, Asher Ward, James Payne, Caden Cutler, Beckett Carbone, Cayley Holt, Ava Maxwell
Bluffton Middle School: Kaley Claffy, Delaney Yanok, Kristyn Gomez, Dean Nazim, Ryan Mosiade, Kelvin Benitez, Grayson Jacob, Logan Martinez, Maggie Vreeland, Logan McKenzie, Samuel Steese, Frankie Chiafolo
Beaufort Middle School: Hailey Lallemont, Rita Chen, Charles Sommerall, Justina Dupress, Amanda Grilli, Jude Greenway, Liam Lewis, Jeremiah Polite, Emil Figuereo, Angel Snead, Lydia Sargent, Franklin Lawton, Ayden Condall, Thomas Bellamy III, Sawyer Mikey, Jazz Berry, Kaleel Evans, Ryder Sutton, Marcus Kessler
River Ridge Academy: Caylys Hudson, Logan Maynor, Cade Kepel
Whale Branch Middle School: Joel Blanco, Jamari Lee, Elijah Henderson, Shamar Gaskin, Marsalis Gaskin, Griffin Nigel, Jordan Gibbs, Vandre Payton
Twelve students earned placement into the 2024 South Carolina Band Director’s Association (SCBDA) Region Four All Region Band, where MRHS band director, Deborah Hamner was also honored as a guest conductor of the High School Alternate Band.
The audition process for placement in the bands of Region Four requires students to prepare a solo on their instrument, demonstrate proficiency in scales, sight-reading, and verbally demonstrate their knowledge of specific music vocabulary. The five region bands are (1) Senior Band for students in grades 11 and 12; (2) Clinic Band for students in grades 9 and 10; (3) Junior Band for students in grades 7 and 8; (4) the High School Alternate Band for students in grades 9 through 12; and (5) the Junior Alternate Band for students in grades 7 and 8. Congratulations to the following students who were placed in their respective Region or Alternate Band.
Junior Band: Angel Snead (BMS) and Franklin Lawton (BMS) were placed into the Alternate Band.
Clinic Band: Ayden Coleman (MRHS) and Luciana Bernardini (BLHS) were placed into the Clinic Band, and Brea Parker (BHS), John Phillip Schroeder (MRHS), and David Barr (BHS), and Skylar Thornton (MRHS) were placed into the Alternate Band
Senior Band: Anthony Maldonado (MRHS, Aiden Armstrong (MRHS) placed into the Senior Band, and Devon Nizam (MRHS) Kegan Claffy (MRHS) were placed into the Alternate Band
Congrats to all!
The BMS band and orchestra (led by BMS Band/Orchestra/Music Director Amanda Trimpey) also brought home a Silver rating trophy from the Southern Star Music Festival in Atlanta! Way to go Gryphons!