GENTRY -- The Gentry band traveled to Mountain Home on Saturday, April 16, for an event called Solo and Ensemble. Solo and Ensemble provides an opportunity for students to choose their own piece of music to perform in front of a judge. After they're done performing their piece of music, the judges will give them a rating from 1-5 (with 1 being the best and 5 being the worst). Students who receive a rating from 1 (Superior) to 2 (Excellent) receive a medal.
Jennifer Adams (freshman) and Cha Chi Vang (freshman) received Superior Ratings on their individual solos and duet. Paige Wood (freshman) and Courtney McCollum (freshman) also received Superior Ratings on their solos. Sophomores Jarod Lawrence and Amanda Smith received Superior Ratings on their solos. Richard Calico (sophomore), Thomas King (junior), and Sam Bennett (junior) received a Superior Rating on their snare drum trio. Sam Bennett received a Superior Rating on his solo and will be traveling to Dover for state Solo and Ensemble, May 2-3. Vince Rajsombath (sophomore) and Parker McCollum (freshman) both received Excellent Ratings for their solos, as well as their trio with Wyatt Philpott (junior). Jacob Long (freshman) and Katlyn Adams (freshman) received an Excellent Rating on their mallet duet. Jarod Lawrence (sophomore), Amanda Smith (sophomore), Vince Rajsombath (sophomore), Courtney McCollum (freshman), and Parker McCollum (freshman) received an Excellent Rating on their Brass quintet. Paige Wood (fresman) received a Superior Rating in a saxophone trio she performed with two middle school students, Fallyn Cordeiro (eighth) and Madison Lopez (eighth).
"I am extremely pleased with our school's performance at Solo and Ensemble," said Karri Wesson, Gentry's band instructor.
"It was fun and a cool experience," Katlyn Adams said. "I learned that practice makes perfect and that you really benefit from it."
Sports on 04/27/2016