Fair / 48° F
Community proud of band [UPDATED]
Published 10:03am Wednesday, January 23, 2013 Updated 12:06pm Wednesday, January 23, 2013On Monday, Jan. 21 at 5:05 p.m., the community of Fergus Falls could hear the familiar sounds and see the familiar uniforms of the Fergus Falls High School Marching Band as they performed in the Inaugural Parade. The band was playing and singing a unique rendition of Yankee Doodle Dandy that was arranged by the former band director, Jim Iverson. The cameras did some close-up shots of our students — who were outstanding in their timing and sound. And as expected, the Fergus Falls High School Marching Band made the school and community proud by their outstanding performance.
Marching Band Performance Jan. 15
was a sight to behold
The gym was packed, the girls’ basketball game was in hand and the marching band was in full uniform to perform for the audience. It was a sight to behold! In preparation for the Inaugural Parade, the band gave everyone a memorable performance during the Jan. 15 half-time show.
Mayor Hal Leland read a proclamation and I read a letter of commendation from the School Board. Mr. Scott Kummrow, marching band director, announced that the fundraising was at $78,000 and growing. The additional funds will be deposited in a uniform replacement account.
Mr. Kummrow read the following statement:
“The last few weeks have been a dream of community support, flexible colleagues, and the hardest working students around. The list of people to thank seems endless, but we are going to do our best to identify all of our supporters through the next few weeks. We won’t get them all tonight, but we’ll start.
First, my team of directors. Their talents and personalities are what make these students behind me want to work hard. They have sacrificed many hours to ensure that our students are prepared for the task at hand. They have been organizing and problem-solving in the tightest of timelines and have always been willing to go the extra mile for these students and this team.
None of what we do would be possible without the support of our administrators and colleagues. I told Dean Monke and Jerry Ness about this application the beginning of November and they have been supportive every step on this path. The presence of the girls’ basketball team along with Brad Strand and the other coaches is a demonstration of the support that we receive from our amazing staff.
I’m not sure this school would run without Gary Schuler and Sue Thorsen. I cannot tell you how many times I have popped my head into their offices with a harebrained idea, last minute request, or difficult task. These things are always met with a smile and an attitude of ‘let’s get it done.’ And they always get it done.
These students are some of the hardest working, most dedicated group of student musicians that I have had the pleasure to work with. They come to rehearsals early and ready to work. They have to be reminded to not work so hard that they push themselves into exhaustion. They are a joy to be around and make our jobs fun. They are dedicated to not only performing with excellence and pride but also to representing this amazing community we live in.
I would venture to guess that there will not be a single organization at the Inaugural Parade that has seen the support we have. And I know why — community pride. That is what this is all about. Only people who live in communities like ours would understand when the girls’ basketball team is ranked number one in the state, we all take pride and ownership of that status. People from communities like ours would get it when Tom Uvaas takes swimmers to the state meet for 20+ years in a row, we all celebrate. They would understand when a set of twins wins the National History Day competition, we are all proud. And when our marching band performs for the president of the United States, we all share the pride in that moment.
We appreciate everything you have done for us. That is a phrase you will be hearing a lot from us. It may not be much, but we give it with enthusiasm and heart.”
Blog of Marching
Band’s trip
If you would like to read about the marching band’s trip, go to www.isd544.org and click on the band’s icon in the upper left hand corner. Once you get to that site click on “blog” to have fun reading the students and staff reflections.
