Performing Glenn Miller's "St. Louis Blues" and John Philip Sousa's "Stars and Stripes Forever" tonight will be an experience like no other for eight Bemidji High School students.
The band students will sit side-by-side with members of the United States Air Force Academy Band to perform the last two numbers of the band's concert in the BHS Auditorium. The concert begins at 7 p.m.
The Bemidji Pioneer and Paul Bunyan Broadcasting are presenting the free concert. All the tickets for the concert have been distributed.
Master Sgt. Mark Israel, director of education outreach for the band and a trumpet player and supplemental vocalist in the band, said the 50-member band will perform music similar to the music performed by the Boston Pops Orchestra. The band's playlist includes patriotic music, Americana music and Broadway show tunes.
"We also premiere commissioned works by nationally-acclaimed composers," he said.
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Tonight's concert will run about two hours long, including a 15-minute intermission. Israel said the band will end the concert with a tribute to the heritage of the United States and to the nation's veterans.
During the evening, members of the Bemidji American Legion and the Blackduck American Legion will serve as ushers and do a presentation of the colors.
The students who will join the band on stage for the final moments of the concert will represent a cross-section of the BHS concert band. They are senior Lea Bodenheimer on the flute, senior Derek Geller on the clarinet, junior Drew Weaver on the alto sax, senior Jake Jackson on the baritone sax, senior Andy Clemenson on percussion, junior Rachel Barckholtz on the trombone, senior Julie Heida on the bassoon and senior Tom Clairmont on the tuba.
"Anytime you get the opportunity to play with a group of this caliber is a good thing," said Derek Wickum, BHS director of bands. "So much learning comes from playing with an upper-level ensemble like that."
The students said they are looking forward to playing with the band tonight.
Jackson said he is honored to have the opportunity to play with the band.
And Barckholtz noted that she is looking forward to playing with the talent in the band.
The students will bring some experience with them on "Stars and Stripes Forever," which they have performed at past BHS band concerts.
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According to Israel, the United States Air Force Academy Band invites students to perform at its concerts to motivate them to excel in music, as well as honor them for the achievements they have made in leadership in music. He added that studies show that music students tend do exceptionally well in leadership roles throughout their lives.
"So we're just investing in those students," Israel said.
Plus, he said, it provides the students the opportunity to perform with a full-time professional military band.
He said the United States Air Force Academy Band is one of the two premier Air Force bands that travel the nation to expand public relations for the Air Force Academy and the Air Force. He said the band also supports recruiting for the academy and boosting the morale of troops stationed in the United States and overseas.
Israel noted that tonight's concert should be an exciting, entertaining, moving and patriotic family program.
"There will be something for everybody," he added. "And the band is excited to be in your community."
