Four bands compete in state contests
By ROB NOVIT
Senior writer
Her young Silver Bluff musicians have come a long way since the season began in early August, band director Kristin Brown said.
The Silver Spirit band finished eighth at the Class AA state band contest at Batesburg-Leesville High School Saturday night. Earlier in the day, the North Augusta band took eighth place in the AAAA contest.
In the AAA event, Midland Valley finished 12th. The results for Class A Ridge Spring-Monetta were not available Sunday. Both bands performed in state contests at Woodmont High School in Greenville County on Saturday.
"Our kids have put their hearts in this," said Brown of her Silver Spirit students. "I'm going to be excited to see them next year and the year after."
The Silver Spirit had a good performance, said junior Wil Moorhead.
"It's a lot of fun, marching and playing and hanging out with friends," he said. "It's fun to see the show come together and get the music and put in the visual aspects."
Terrence Bates, a senior trumpeter, acknowledged that it's sad to see his final marching season end. But there's a lot more to do this year.
"Symphonic band is going to be great," Bates said. "And I'm going to try to make my fourth region band."
Freshman percussionist Hannah Kellems is the youngest of four Silver Spirit sisters. Erica is a Brevard College junior, and Lauren is a sophomore at Augusta State University. Amy is a senior bassoonist at the Governor's School for the Arts.
During elementary school Hannah volunteered during band contests and was a fifth-grader in 2005 when Amy and her bandmates won the AA state title. To Hannah's surprise, she made the varsity band as a seventh-grader in 2007, Amy's sophomore year.
"It meant so much to share that with my sister," Hannah said. "I had never expected to march with any of them. And then we won the state title, and that was overwhelming. I had helped with props before, but it had never felt like that."
Hannah called it a once-in-a-lifetime feeling, and Amy readily agreed.
"It was great that I got to march with all of my sisters," said Amy, who attended the state meet Saturday. "To see my little sister tonight is a treat. But it was really cool to hug her after we won the state championship."
Amy has enjoyed her Governor's School experience. She plans to major in music education and wants to come back to the area as a middle school teacher. Earlier in the week, Amy and other Governor's School musicians were in Aiken for a concert. She was pleased when her former Jackson Middle School director, Randy Hood, attended the program. Hood taught all four Kellems sisters.
"It's always nice to have these band families," said Hood. "It's great to see all our students do well."
Kristin Brown was one of Hood's students as well and was a member of two Silver Bluff championship bands in the late 1990s. Now in her third year with the band program, she is enjoying the opportunity to get to know her students over time.
"This junior class was in my first group as ninth-graders," Brown said. "One of the great things is that I get to have the kids for all four years, watching them grow up and come into their own by the time they're seniors."
Contact Rob Novit at rnovit@aikenstandard.com.
