COMBINED FORCES … AHS and PHS Bands fill the AHS auditorium with sound during the band exchange. (PHOTO BY AMY WENDT, STAFF)
By: Amy Wendt
On Monday, March 27th, bands from Archbold High School and Pettisville High School combined to create a unique musical experience.
The event was a collaboration between AHS Band Director Beth Yoder and PHS Band Director Nate Kester, who came up with the idea to combine their musical talents and hold a band exchange and concert.
According to Yoder, due to the proximity of Archbold and Pettisville, the schools share a lot of overlap in the communities, with many of the students from the two different schools being friends. A band exchange offered a fun way to bring everyone together.
Beginning in January, the two schools began working on the same pieces. The students learned four selections of music, plus the fight songs from each school.
Rehearsals began at 9:00 am at Archbold High School and continued until 1:45 pm, with a short break before the group reconvened to perform the concert.
Since the show took place during school hours, it was live-streamed on YouTube so parents and concertgoers could enjoy it at their leisure.
The collaboration between schools offered a one-of-a-kind musical experience as students were able to work under a different director, play in a larger band, and many were also able to connect with friends from a neighboring school.
To check out the combined performance, visit https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ITb14X1tOvc.
Amy can be reached at amy@thevillagereporter.com