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November 6, 2015 • Volume 3, No. 1
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Raytown South marching band wraps up performance season, director looks to future By Kris Collins The Raytown South High School band finished its marching competition season at the end of October with a trip to the University of Missouri to compete against 12 other bands in its division, but the season never really ends for Band Director Brandon Hord. Raytown South placed fifth in the Mizzou competition, which includes a musical performance and marching on a football field. (Hord likens it to putting on a musical in a field.) The band played four selections from Cirque de Soleil, all of which fell under the theme “dream catcher.” “The kids probably had one of their tightest performances of the year, musically and marching,” he said, adding that the band has improved at every competition since the first of the year. Though the field competition season is over, Hord, who has been the band director for two years, has
his work cut out for him. He is in charge of 70 high school students and six different bands this year at the high school — marching band, two jazz bands, a concert band, a top symphonic band and a percussion ensemble. Keeping up with the bands is a task alone, but Hord’s main goal is to grow the band program at Raytown South, and he’s starting by increasing the quality of marching band performances. Hord handpicked the four songs the band performed at Mizzou, a time-consuming task other band directors circumvent by purchasing arrangements. “The previous four or five years of shows that have been performed here have been more of a show in a can, I guess you could say,” Hord said. “Ten or 15 years ago, this group was only a parade band and played at Friday night games … About eight years ago, that’s when it started changing. There was a director that came in here
Photos by Kris Collins Front row from left, Ishauna Dodd, sophomore flutist, sophomore Sydney Hubbard, alto saxophonist, and Elizabeth Teeman, junior Mellophone player, practice at the end of October for the Raytown South High School band’s trip to the University of Missouri to participate in the final field competition of the year.
Brandon Hord, Raytown South High School Director of Bands, right, leads the band in drill exercises leading up to a competition.
and wanted to do more with field shows, rather than parades. What you can do is show off and have a way to perform your field shows at the Friday night games, and I not only wanted to impress the crowd but I wanted to impress people outside of these walls. I wanted go outside of the community and show off these kids’ talent because these kids here are just as talented as anywhere.” That drive has taken the band to regional competitions, like the one at Mizzou and a similar one earlier in the year at the University of Central Missouri, and reversed the past sentiment for “shows in a can.” “I think with a band program you’re always looking to the future,” Hord said. “You always have goals,” he said of reaching the next level of field performance competition. Backing his vision is Assistant Band Director Brenda Kueck, who
is also the band director at Raytown South Middle School where the jazz band has garnered statewide recognition. Hord and Kueck, who has been with the school district since 1981, each play vital roles in progressing toward their shared vision. Kueck prepares well-rounded musicians at the middle school — the quantity — and Hord provides the platform from which students excel further in competition and proficiency once they reach high school — the quality. “When they come to high school, and they’re seeing us do these things we’re doing now, with going to the places were going, competing the way we are, then it’s like, ‘Oh, I want to stay in this program. I want to go do these things.’ You’re not just going to march down a street. You’re not going to stand and play a Friday night foot-
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Kansas City is blue Photos by Kris Collins Left: The crowd spanned the entire lawn at Liberty Memorial and overflowed into the streets where blue T-shirts ran as far as the eye could see. Right: The cheers from the sea of blue at Union Station grew louder as the Royals took the stage Tuesday during the victory rally at Union Station.
Raytown South High School presents “Cinderella” this weekend By Kris Collins The Raytown South High School Theater Department will present the Broadway version of “Cinderella” at 7 p.m. Friday and Saturday in the school auditorium. Rogers and Hammerstein’s “Cinderella” offers a little more than the story most people may be familiar with, according to Director Brent Martin. “This new version adds a substory line that’s not in the original story and there’s a twist at the end of act one that’s very new and exciting and not what people expect,” he said.
Gabby McDuffy, a junior playing the role of Crazy Marie, said this version of the tale is more comedic and she also gave a teaser on the twist. “Ella doesn’t actually drop her shoe and then leave and then it’s over,” she said. “There’s more to it after the ball.” However, Martin said, the audience will recognize all the main characters and a large portion of music from the original production. (“In My Own Little Corner,” “Impossible/It’s Possible,” “Ten Minutes Ago” and “Stepsisters Lament.”) Martin, who is in his fourth year
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at the school district, said the 80 students involved have as much of a hand in the production as possible, from costume design, set building, lighting and on- and off-stage logistics. “I try to let the students do as much as they want to and what I think they can handle,” he said. “I really focus on making it a student program rather than a program that I run.” Additionally, there will be princesses in costume in the lobby available for photos and children attending the show are encouraged
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Photo by Kris Collins Raytown South High School senior Elliot White, portraying Ella, opens the performance of “Cinderella” during the final rehearsal Wednesday night before the play’s run Nov. 5 – 7.
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