Making beautiful music

More than 100 of the county’s top middle school student musicians took the stage for the 50th Jasper County Honor Band. Held April 2 at the Newton High School Center for Performance, students from the six area schools performed together after only a day of rehearsal.

Guest conductor Michelle Grant, Colfax-Mingo 5-12 music director, led the group through four pieces including “Castles and Dragons,” “Freefall!,” “After the Storm,” and “Theme from Spider-Man.”

“These kids have been incredible all day. I can’t think of a better group to work with,” Grant said. “We had some difficult and they just played ‘After the Storm,’ incredibly well. It was easily they best they played it all day. These guys are amazing.”

Honor band members included:

Newton Berg Middle School

Lual Akol, Haylee Adams, Bree Ergenbright, Izzy Wilson, Hayden Gasper, Lexi Burns, Sadie Booth, Rylan Allison, Gaby Layton, Abby Miranda, Christelle Lahart, Jude Jacobson, Kenzie Clark, Chloe Vander Weerdt, Sadie Stiles, Remington Storm, Brooklyn Jones, Layla Purvis, Owen Osterhaus, Andrew Braun, Sydney Schiebel, Hayden Dunkerson, Jalyn Stahl, Jackson Riney, Elijah Doran, Ben Shafter, Brandon Holmes, Gavin Stoner, Hudson Meyer, Talia Friedman, Heath Anderson, David Cope and Drew Lamont

Baxter

Grace Warden, Malayla Hurd, Piper Redman, Katt Wing, Olivia Parrie, Mel Smith, Zander Parker, Lincoln Russell, Brylea Nicholson, Nick Shedd, Victor Spohnheimer, Kenzie Cross and Robbie Richardson

Colfax-Mingo

Jessica Gibson, Genesis Hardney, Brenna Miller, Aubrey VanderSchoor, Lily Anderson, Falicity Landon, Chelsie Kite, Mia Frangopol, Ashlynn Hosbond, Olyvia Grant, Wilson Hauschildt, Jessa Purdie, Joey Grimm, Xander Gerholdt, Zella Perry, Isabella Utz, Weston Boehm, Alexander Rodriguez-Briseno and Milo Knutson

Lynnville-Sully

Haleigh Hornbuckle, Tess Dunlap, Nikolai Van Wyk, Braxton Bucklin, Mandeesa Vos, Hayden Lewis, Willow Schinkel, Natalie Nore, Trycer Arends, Hudson Squires, Madden Gunsalus, Logan Gray, Grayson LeCompte and Jackson Van Wyk

Newton Christian

Karly Spear, Tori VanKley, Lucy Simon, Trevor Van Kley, Will McKinney and Temple Barton

PCM

Luke Ferneding, Abby Bradbury, Drake Eisbrenner, Emma Holt, Caleb Wilson, Caleb Ingle, Darbey DeRaad, Liz Egland, Owen Osterhaus, Andrew Braun, Erica Thomas, Cade Burkett, Eli Meyer, Patrick Jimenez, Caleb Kain and Hayden Pierson