More than 190 band members from area schools, including those from Brookwood, will participate in the 25th annual Western Wisconsin Honors Band on Monday, Nov. 16, at Westby Area Schools.
Students will have a day of rehearsal with nationally recognized conductors and soloists. The event will culminate with a concert at 6:30 p.m. in the Westby High School gymnasium. The event is free and open to the public.
Band members from Brookwood, Cashton, De Soto, Kickapoo, La Farge, North Crawford, Viroqua and Westby will take part in the event.
Joe Hermann of Tennessee Tech University will conduct the Western Wisconsin High School Honors Band. Hermann is a professor of music and director of bands at Tennessee Technological University in Cookeville, Tenn., where he is responsible for a dynamic and varied program consisting of the University Marching Band, Symphony Band, Concert Band, Pep Band, and the Golden Eagle Brass. Hermann is sought after as a conductor, adjudicator and speaker, and as such has appeared in more than 30 states, Canada, the Netherlands, and throughout Japan.
Kathy Fenske will conduct the Western Wisconsin Middle School Honors Band. Fenske has 29 years of experience in the field of music education, teaching instrumental music, composing and arranging works for concert band, and conducting clinics throughout the United States. She holds a Bachelor of Arts summa cum laude from Luther College in Decorah, Iowa, and a Master of Music from Northwestern University in Evanston, Ill., where she was a student of John Paynter. She is teaching high school band in suburban St. Louis and was recently awarded the Emerson “Crystal Apple” Excellence in Teaching Award. Fenske is a member of ASBDA, NAFME, MMEA, WBDI, Pi Kappa Lambda, and Phi Beta Kappa.
The trombone soloist for the day is Harry Watters. Jazz trombonist Harry Watters travels nationally and internationally as a Jupiter Artist. His numerous Summit Records releases include the popular “Love Songs” and the three critically acclaimed Brothers discs with trumpeter Ken Watters. After graduation from the University of North Texas, Harry spent four years touring and recording with the renowned Dukes of Dixieland. Watters has performed with Doc Severinsen, Al Hirt, Pete Fountain, Erich Kunzel, Kevin Mahogany, Wycliffe Gordon, Lou Rawls, Maureen McGovern, Bill Watrous, Carl Fontana, Jiggs Whiggam, James Moody, Peter Erskine, Conrad Herwig, John Fedchock and the Boston Brass.
In addition, Watters has appeared as a featured soloist with the Syracuse Symphony, the Baton Rouge Symphony, the Louisiana Philharmonic, the Tulsa Pops, the West Virginia Symphony, the University of North Texas One O’Clock Lab Band, the Janacek Philharmonic, the Moldovan Festival Orchestra and the U.S. Army Orchestra.