Clare Bernheisel - Section Editor
On Thursday, February 9, three Dyersburg High School Band students, Clare Bernheisel, Joshua Bernheisel, and Luke Pepito, and one Dyersburg Middle School student, Nia Mackey, traveled to Memphis, TN for the West Tennessee School Band and Orchestra Assocation All-West Convention.
The students were selected for All-West and placed in their respective bands and orchestras based on auditions held earlier in the year. They competed against hundreds of musicians from West Tennessee and were chosen based on their knowledge of sight reading, scales, and prepared excerpts.
Nia Mackey auditioned for the Middle School Band, Clare Bernheisel auditioned for the 9-10 Band, Joshua Bernheisel auditioned for the 11-12 Band, and Luke Pepito auditioned for the String Orchestra.
On Thursday afternoon and the whole day Friday, the students rehearsed music selections chosen by their respective clinicians to be performed in concerts on Friday night and Saturday morn
ing at the Cannon Center for the Performing Arts..
On Thursday afternoon, the students had the opportunity to meet representatives from colleges and vendors in the area to learn about musical opportunities after high school. Staying at a hotel in the heart of Memphis allowed them to explore the city during their breaks.
“Being in All-West was an incredible experience because I got to be around amazing and talented string players. This was exciting for me considering there are very few string players where I live,” sophomore violinist Luke Pepito said.
All-West was a great opportunity for the selected students to play challenging music, learn from expert directors and musicians, meet other talented young musicians from the area, and perform music at a high level.
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