GALLIPOLIS - Gallia Academy High School Band Director Kenny Bond is preparing seven of his students for their trip to perform at Ohio University in the District 17 Honors Band Concert on April first.

High school band students from Gallia, Meigs, Athens, Jackson, and Lawrence Counties auditioned individually before a panel at OU on March fourth. The auditions were based on mastery of materials sent to the students, scales, and sight reading capabilities. These requirements are very similar to the Jurying Process a music student must go through when applying for college.

“Just getting accepted is really a competition in itself,” said Bond. “These students are the best of the best, so being selected is a major honor.”

With over 500 band programs in Ohio, only about 80 of them have students that were chosen to perform in Honors Band. GAHS has the second highest number of kids in the concert with seven students qualifying. Bond is not surprised. “We are one of the few high schools that still has a full music program,” he said. “It shows that this community values cultural as well as academic education, which is important for turning students into well-rounded individuals.”

The students will arrive at the OU campus on Friday, March 31st, and rehearse sectionals with their Band Directors before Saturday's show which will be conducted by Dr. Richard Suk, Professor of Music Education at OU. “It's good for them to work with a different conductor than they are used to,” said Bond. “They get to see new styles that they are not familiar with and experience alternate ways of teaching.”

March is Music in Our Schools Month, and is meant to remind us of the importance of music in a diverse curriculum. Music teaches students self discipline, responsibility, time management, dedication to a craft, and teamwork.

The concert is scheduled for 8 p.m. Saturday, April first at Ohio University.

For more information please contact Kenny Bond at GAHS, 446-2312.