By PATRICK INKPEN
Student Reporter
The Ranger band has begun the spring semester with a number of special events.
The band started the year by hosting the 2015 Red Carpet Honor Band Clinic Jan. 16 and 17/ The event was sponsored by The Oklahoma Red Carpet Country Band Directors Association. The event included bands from Alfalfa, Beaver, Blaine, Cimarron, Dewey, Ellis, Garfield, Grant, Harper, Kay, Kingfisher, Major, Noble, Roger Mills, Texas, Woods and Woodward counties.
Three hundred students were put into three different bands based on competitive auditions held in November. Each of the bands had a guest conductor to lead the band. Alex Claussen, president-elect for the Oklahoma Music Education Association and band director at Bartlesville Public Schools, headed up the high school-level band while Belinda Watson, band director at Mustang Middle School directed the Junior High “A” Band and Tim Dewitt, band director at Elk City Schools, directed the Junior High “B” Band. Each band put in close to eight hours of practice in two days; the final performance of the three bands was seen by over 600 people.
At the recent home basketball games against rival Southwestern, the Ranger band held a “Bedlam Ranger Style” event and included band members from Alva and Hennessey High schools as well as Ranger Band alumni, totaling 80 members.
Alumni Cara Bradt, band director with the Alva Public Schools, and Adam Steuart, band director in Hennessey, brought large portions of their bands to join other Northwestern alumni and current band members to play for the evening and watch the Lady Rangers and Ranger men win their games.
Dr. Mike Knedler, long time Northwestern band director and current dean for the School of Arts and Sciences, also took a few turns directing the band during the evening.
The Ranger Jazz band traveled Feb. 13 to Weatherford to perform at the 45th Annual Southwestern Oklahoma State University Jazz Festival. Regional university, high school and middle school jazz bands were invited to perform for comments and ratings during the festival. The featured artists this year were Kris Berg and The Metroplexity Big Band. The members of the Ranger Jazz Band are Amy Mikles (saxophone), Richard Barber (saxophone), Adeline Sleeger (saxophone), Amanda Metcalf (clarinet), Arthur J. Bohlmann (trombone), Evan Vaverka (trombone), Don Beadles (trombone), Megan Metcalf (trumpet), Scott Bartley (trumpet), Connor Swenke (percussion), Austin Mount (percussion), Daniel Pacula (guitar), Shawn Holiday (bass) and Tori Hurley (piano).
This marked the first trip in its 45-year history The Ranger Band program took to the Southwestern Jazz Festival. Ranger Band Director Kenneth Drobnak said. “The jazz band received excellent ratings at the festival and they have really become elite instrumental ensemble on campus. They put in extra rehearsal time on Wednesday nights and also play more difficult music. They have also become ambassadors for the program playing for about 200 high school students, which helps bring interest to the band program.”
On Jan. 21 and 22 Drobnak took Amy Mikles and Amanda Metcalf to the 2015 Oklahoma Intercollegiate Honor Band in Tulsa. “These two players are outstanding students and musicians and it was a great opportunity for both to attend.” said Drobnak. “It also allows them to interact with other band students and learn more about their instruments.” Members of the group were selected by director recommendation.
By Friday, the Ranger Band will have met with 50 different high schools and close to 2,000 band members within the state of Oklahoma
Northwestern will be hosting the OSSAA Large Group Festival March 3.