Day 27 in 2022

Auditioning into the Michigan All State High School Band is a big deal. Almost 2,000 kids from all over the state compete for around 100 spots. Blind auditions are held every fall, members are notified in November and music sent out so they can prepare. Finally, in January, the students meet during the Michigan Music Conference for two days of rehearsals before a final performance on the third morning. It is a huge honor to be selected as one of the top high school musicians in the state, and Calvin earned that honor, and a first bassoon spot, with hard work and talent. So here we are, masks at the ready, to take on a conference in Grand Rapids, Michigan...in the middle of a Pandemic surge.

And we couldn't be more proud.

Day 25 in 2022

Day 3 in 2022

Day 125 in 2021

Though some our school is back to in-person learning, about a third of Calvin's band is still what they are calling "home based", or learning entirely from home. That made tonight's spring band concert interesting, with about 2/3 of the band on stage, socially distanced and wearing masks with instrument slits in them (what???), and about 1/3 of the students Zooming in from home. They had to be fully dressed and playing along, and, though muted, they were projected on a screne to the side of the stage so the limited audience could see them in all their Brady Bunch glory. It was Gimli's first, and probably last, band concert.

Day 118 in 2021