Six Pirate musicians traveled to Kearney this past weekend for a performance in the Class D All-State musical ensembles held on Saturday, March 18.
Addie Hodson and Jay Jay Gaver both were selected for the symphonic band; Leighton Medina and Emma Sauser were chosen for the wind ensemble; and Weston Hoffman and Marlena Curtiss were selected for the jazz band performance.
Curtiss, Hoffman and Sauser were also awarded Class D All-State Medals for their performances and auditions as chosen by the directors.
The Plainview youth were helped with their auditions and are under the direction of Plainview instructor Brittani Beegle.
The Jazz Band was directed by Mark Irvin of Omaha, who was also given a special award as it was his last year of serving the All-State Band before his retirement. Irvin is a music educator, singer/songwriter, recording artist and freelance musician. He was inducted into the Nebraska Music Hall of Fame in 2010.
The Symphonic Band was directed by Stan Johnson, a 45-year veteran of music education in Nebraska. His introduction included his announcement as the “BandFather” crediting him with his service to the All-State performances for 19 years. He has been named in numerous national, international and state organizations for his work.
The Wind Ensemble was directed by Brady Rolfs of Waverly High School. He directs the marching, varsity, Viking Varsity Jazz, freshman, pep and 5th-6th grade bands. His bands have been awarded Citations of Excellance from the National Band Association and won the Golden Apple Award for Nebraska Educators in 2017.