Brandon High School band receives top honors in competition

Brandon band students have competed in their own version of March madness this month, coming away successful from multiple events.
On March 15, Miranda Browne, Brooke Burmeister, Erin Connell, Rebekah Cook, Emma Daley, Amanda Didur, Cassie Kent, Kevin Loughlin, and Andrew Smith performed during the Michigan School Band and Orchestra Association state solo and ensemble festival in Port Huron, all earning first or second division ratings. Browne, a Brandon High School senior, was also nominated for the Michigan Youth Arts Festival, the highest honor for which a band student can be nominated, for her exemplary piccolo solo performance.
On March 1, the Brandon Middle School band performed under the direction of Roy Johnson at the district MSBOA band festival at Flint Carman-Ainsworth, receiving a first division rating.
The BHS concert and wind ensemble bands performed at the district MSBOA festival on March 7 at Flushing High School. Under the direction of Laura Molnar, the concert band received straight first division ratings and Director Russ McMartin led the wind ensemble to straight first division ratings with A’s in every adjudicated category. Additionally, the wind ensemble received a letter of recommendation from the judges to be considered for the January 2009 Michigan Music Conference, an unprecedented honor.
‘Both Ms. Molnar and I are proud of the hard work the kids have put in,? said McMartin. ‘In this activity, you get out what you put in.?
The state band festival will be April 26 in Holly.
The spring concert for the BHS band is set for 7 p.m., May 8, at the Clarkston High School auditorium, 6093 Flemings Lake Road (due to renovations at BHS).