Everybody loves the carnival, EXCEPT ... Tuesday, March 23, 2010 By Huston Jack Mr.Jones directs the band at a football pep rally last October. Along with Mr.Duren, Mr.Jones has been preparing the band for their trip to Maryville - Advertising The Cameron Dragon Band is preparing for District Large Group Contest. Contest is April 8 at the music department of Northwest Missouri State University in Maryville. Contest season is always a crazy, but organized, chaos for the students that comprise the Cameron Dragon Band. Students are getting ready for the end of the year, which includes finals and the E.O.C., starting spring sports, such as baseball and track, and finally getting to go outside after what seems like an endless winter of snow and ice. Then, the band directors, just for the added benefit, throw in some of the hardest pieces of music they can at the members of the band for the most important concert the band performs each year.     The Director's of the CHS band, Mr.Shane Jones and Mr.Blake Duren, spend countless hours rehearsing with the band and fine-tuning every nuance of the songs the band performs. That could be anything from a full run through of the song or having a flute and clarinet sectional at 7:00 a.m. before band to practice some of the more difficult parts of the pieces.   The CHS Band is preparing three songs this year. Invercargill, which is a typical march style piece, With Each Sunset, which is the ballad, and finally Haunted Carnival. The final piece is a very crazy song with many time changes and weird keys. Overall, the piece is a very strange but intriguing.   "The songs this year are really cool and fun," said Junior Tuba player Trulea Fletcher.  "My favorite song is 'Haunted Carnival' and actually, my favorite part of the song is one that I don't play at. In the second to last measure, I have an evil laugh. It's awesome."   "Contest season is always crazy, but it is so rewarding in the end to hear all you hard work come together," said Mr.Duren.   "I really enjoy being with all of my friends in band," said Senior Flautist Brittany Shaul. "Everyone is always in a good mood and it just makes every part of band fun."   The CHS band is not small either. With 84 kids in the band, it takes three buses to transport the band to Maryville. Toting such a large band can be a troublesome adventure, and it is not going to be any easier this year. Now choir and band contest is on the same day, which means around 150 kids will be traveling to Maryville, which is a large chunk of the CHS student population.   "We are going to have over 100 kids up at Maryville," said Mr.Duren. "I don't think there will be any problems, but there might be a few kinks that need to be worked out after it's all said and done."  As long as those kinks don't stop the band from bringing home their traditional I rating, everything will be just fine!

Back to the articles list