By Amanda Tennant, staff writer
In the midst of frigid weather and an upcoming blizzard on the last day of January, concert viewers filled up Indian Trail High School and Academy’s gymnasium to a full house for the most anticipated band performance of the year, Band-O-Rama.
Band-O-Rama is an annual band festival where all 1,200 plus band musicians from across the dis- trict are gathered under one roof to perform two magnificent concerts that feature the extraordinary amount of musical talent Kenosha Unified School
District has. This valuable, Kenosha tradition has been performed for more than half a century as the event welcomes its 58th year as a festival in the city. During its 58 years, Band-O-Rama has become so popular and recognized that it takes two concerts separated over two days to perform for everyone who purchased a ticket.
This year’s concert schedule was a sensational one as guest conductor Dr. Erik Janners, band di- rector at Marquette University, opened the concert with “For A New Day Arisen,” followed by “The Star Spangled Banner.” Then, attention was brought to the other end of the field house where the Elementary Beginner Band performed “The Frog’s Song” and “Russian Folk Song.” The Sixth Grade Cadet Band played next with a performance of the songs “Fidgets” and “Majestica.” Afterwards, the Combined Middle School Concert Bands took the stage as they played “Onward!” followed shortly by the Combined Middle School Symphonic Bands performance of “Prairie Dances.” The Combined High School Concert and Symphonic Bands played “Fantasy on a Mountain Song” as the Combined High School Winds and Wind Ensembles concluded the first half of the concert with the performance of “Esprit de Corps.” After a short intermission, the second half followed in the same performance order with the Elementary Beginners’ Band performing “London Bridge” and Michael Finnegan, the Sixth Grade Cadet Band with “Forward March!”, the Combined Middle School Concert Bands with “The Magnificent Seven,” the Combined Middle School Symphonic Bands with “Kensington Square,” the Combined High School Bands with “Armed Forces Salute,” and finally, ending the night, the Combined Elementary, Middle School & High School Bands performing “The Stars and Stripes Forever.”
Overall, Band-O-Rama 58 was viewed as a suc- cess from spectators and musicians alike with high- lights of the night including the high schoolers per- formance of “Armed Forces Salute” and “Esprit de Corps.” Ken Wiele, Band Director at ITHS&A, reflected on the influence Indian Trail and its musicians bring to this iconic festival.
“[Due to] Indian Trail being the largest band program in the district, we form the nucleus, and a lot of the leadership for the festival falls on our shoulders,” said Wiele.
Despite the cancellation of Sunday’s concert due to severe weather, Wiele viewed the concert as a positive experience.
“All the kids were very well prepared. The music was really exciting this year. I think we did a good job finding music that the kids as well as the audience liked,” said Wiele.