Eight Templeton Middle School eighth grade band members participated Dec. 2, 3 and 4 in the 39th Annual Honors Band Festival at the University of Wisconsin (UW) – Milwaukee. Students participating in the festival were:
- Robert Matthias – tenor saxophone;
- Gabrielle Lyons – flute;
- Kelsey Steinmetz – flute;
- Alex Gratz – percussion;
- Jessica Gemoll – trumpet;
- Briana Botros – bass clarinet;
- Kristin Fidler – French horn; and
- Erin Stone – euphonium
Students were selected from approximately 700 nominations from across Wisconsin and Illinois. They participated in all-day rehearsals and instrument master classes on Dec. 2 and 3. The festival concluded the following day with a concert at the Helene Zelazo Center For The Performing Arts on the UW-Milwaukee campus.
Students in the festival were divided into three performance bands: the North Carolina Band, directed by Dr. Scott Tobias from Appalachian State University; the Michigan Honors Band, directed by Michael Kaufman from Grand Ledge High School in Michigan; and the Illinois Honors Band, directed by Chip De Stefano from McCraken Middle School in Skokie, Ill.