Fine Arts Center Students Participate in Region and All-State Band Festivals

(Pictured: FAC Winds & Brass Chamber Music students)
For the first time since the mid 1990s, Fine Arts Center winds, brass, and percussion students were recently permitted to participated in auditions for the South Carolina Band Director Association's (SCBDA) Region and State band festivals. FAC musicians fared well at the region band audition, which was held at Greer High School on Saturday, January 12th

The SCBDA divides the state into five regions. Greenville County Schools and the Fine Arts Center are located in Region No. 1, which roughly encompasses the Upstate. In a first audition, students compete to participate in a bands representing their region. Ninth and tenth grades vie for places in the Clinic Band while eleventh and twelfth graders audition for chairs in the Senior Band. Musicians placing first or close to that on their instruments then qualify to compete with their counterparts from the other four regions to participate in the vaunted All-State Band.

Fine Arts Center students earning chairs in the Region No. 1 band included:

Fiona Aldrich (flute, Blue ridge HS, 12)
Faith Russell (flute, home school, 09)
Sara Hoggatt (oboe, Riverside HS, 12)
Chris Askew (bassoon, Mauldin HS, 11)
Jay Belanger (horn, Wade Hampton HS, 11)
Josh Caprell (timpani, Southside Christian, 12)
Wesley Strasser (mallet percussion, Wade Hampton HS, 09)
Peter DiLeo (mallet percussion, Eastside HS, 12)
Jacob Lawler (snare drum, Eastside HS, 11)

Chris Askew, Josh Caprell, Wesley Strasser, and Peter DiLeo each placed first on their respective instruments and will advance to auditions for All-State Band. Jay Belanger and Jason Lawler also earned scores that allow them to advance.

The Region No. 1 band festival will be held at Furman University on February 29 and the first of March. The All-State Band Festival takes place March 14-16 and is also held at Furman.