On Tuesday, January 10th, a select group of middle school band members traveled to Northwestern High School to put their skills to the test. A lasting tradition here at South Shore has been the Middle School All-Conference Band event in Northwestern. Students have participated in this event for as long as anyone can remember. Middle School All-Conference Band is a great opportunity for band members to improve their skills, while also getting a sense of the experience of playing with a large group.

Seven middle school students participated in the event; Natalie Knaack, Taylor Nicoletti, Lilly Tapani, Natalie Golly, Mari Greene, Leila Tuura, and Andi Riddle. The schools involved in the All-Conference Band included Drummond, Ironwood, Northwestern, South Shore, and Washburn. The students all traveled to Northwestern High School and participated in rehearsals throughout the day. The students worked on songs such as “Due North” by Michael Sweeney, “Jungle Dance” by Brian Balmages, and “Dance of the Tumblers” by Rimsky-Korsakov. At the end of the day, the students presented a concert at the high school with all three songs. Howard Lehman, retired “Director of Bands” from Eau Claire North High School, conducted the All-Conference Band. The students put on a wonderful show proving each and every student’s talent. Jodi Truchon, a band teacher at South Shore, said, “I believe this was the toughest music selection for the middle school that I’ve seen in at least 5 years, and they still performed wonderfully.” The South Shore band members will continue to participate in the All-Conference Band improving their skills each year.