Band students at Elizabethtown Area High School (EAHS) and Elizabethtown Area Middle School (EAMS) recently participated in various festivals.

Eleven EAHS music students took part in the Lancaster-Lebanon Music Educators Association (LLMEA) County Band Festival, held at Palmyra High School on Feb. 3. The event featured 172 students from various schools, all selected by their school band directors. They were led at the festival by guest conductors R. David Cooper, retired from Wilson School District, and Eric Hinton from Susquehanna University.

The EAHS students who participated in the festival are Dominic Hemsch and Aiden Kay, percussion; Eleyas Kettering, baritone saxophone; Noa Williams, trombone; Nick Kreider, trumpet; Hayden Simione, Lillian Ross, and Elaina Smith, flute; Alexa Landon and Lex Hershock, alto saxophone; and Colin Rilatt, tuba.

LLMEA promotes music education, provides professional development opportunities for music educators, and organizes events and performances involving students in the region.

Four EAHS students attended the Pennsylvania Music Educators Association (PMEA) District 7 Band Festival, held at Ephrata High School from Jan. 11 to 13. The students were conducted by Mike Fansler, director of bands at Western Illinois University. The EAHS attendees were Dominic Hemsch on percussion, Eleyas Kettering playing the baritone saxophone, Marley Stauffer on the bassoon, and Noa Williams on the trombone.

The selection process for the festival involved students learning music tailored to their instruments and participating in auditions. The top performers from each instrument group - totaling 150 students - were chosen to be part of the ensemble. The students came from various schools in Lancaster, York, Dauphin, Lebanon, Adams, and Berks counties.

PMEA is a statewide nonprofit organization that promotes and supports music education programs in schools and communities. PMEA's mission is to advance comprehensive and innovative music education for all students.

Kristin Novak is the director of bands at Elizabethtown Area High School.

Seven sixth-graders from EAMS participated in the annual Lebanon Valley College Bandfest held at Blair Music Hall on Jan. 10. The selected students were Caedyn Glaus, baritone saxophone; Autumn Crick, alto saxophone; Elliot Messick, trumpet; Luke Sites, trumpet; Andrew Wagner, baritone horn; Liam Spence, percussion; and Henry Leaman, trombone.

During the festival, these students collaborated with 200 fellow musicians, honing their skills through rehearsals led by senior music education students affiliated with the National Association for Music Educators. The festival provided a platform for the students to enhance their musical abilities under the guidance of experienced mentors. Culminating the day's activities, the students performed a concert for friends and family members.

Also during the festival, students enrolled in the Elizabethtown Area High School's Independent Electrical Contractors (IEC) Pre-Apprenticeship Program showcased their skills and dedication during a conduit bending lab activity hosted at Fullerton Electrical.