As my colleagues keep asking how things are "winding down" for the year, I can only laugh. We still have so much going on!! It's all incredibly exciting though, what an amazing community we have here in D7! 

Let's start with the banquet. What a special event! I had such a great time celebrating the year with everyone. I was particularly glad that the venue changed worked well. We have so many people that have accomplished so much this year, it was nice to be together to honor them. It was also nice to bid farewell to the seniors, they've done so much to make the band a special place. We'll definitely miss them (but look forward to seeing them find success beyond Spartanburg High School).

We start marching band this week and I'm SO excited. I've been working hard on planning for months now.. It's nice to be able to speak openly about all the plans. I am also thoroughly enjoying telling students about all the clues the missed :) Fire and Ice is going to be EPIC next year! 

We also have more performing to do! On Friday (May 13), we're providing music for a memorial ceremony at the Spartanburg County Sheriff's Office, as well as providing music for Jazz on Main. That will be a big day for us as we continue to weave our music into the Spartanburg Community. I'm thankful for the invitation to perform at both events. The first will be a poignant experience for the students; it will mean a lot for us to be there. Jazz on the Square will be a lot of fun!

So AFTER this week, we can talk about winding down. Folks, what a year! It's been a whirlwind, but it's been fun.

​- McAllister

The idea behind the Spring Concert this year was a throwback to what band concerts would have been a hundred years ago. Before amplification was common, people used to gather for outdoor band concerts to listen to all types of music. Much of the music consisted of popular marches (i.e. John Phillip Sousa), orchestral transcriptions, and other music of the day. These concerts were some of the first "pops" concerts. 

In the same vein, our Spring Concert was very much a "pops" concert. And though we weren't able to have it outside, it was quite nice to do a more laid-back concert. The students performed tremendously and played a lot of wonderful music! 

The Spring Concert was a great way to close out performances for the year. We're all looking forward to the banquet Thursday night. It will be a good time to celebrate all of our accomplishments!