Allegheny represented at 70th Annual Pennsylvania Intercollegiate Band Festival

Six Allegheny College student musicians represented their school at the 70th Annual Pennsylvania Intercollegiate Band Festival, held at Westminster College February 10-12. Thirty-one colleges and universities participated in the all-state event. Members of the symphonic band program at Allegheny, the six students selected by resume to participate were: Melissa Rusczcyk, clarinet; Brea Whiting, alto clarinet; Abbie Johnson, French horn; Raven Sanchez, string bass; Kevin Simpson, trumpet, and Jon Schaeffer, baritone saxophone. The guest conductor for the festival was Col. Thomas Palmatier, recently retired Conductor of the U.S. Army Band, “Pershings Own.”

The students were accompanied by Dr. Lowell Hepler, Professor of Music and Director of Bands, along with Dr. Ronald Stitt, Assistant Director of Bands.

Jon Schaeffer has also been selected to participate as a baritone saxophonist in the National Small College Intercollegiate Band as part of the College Band Directors National Association (CBDNA) conference at the University of Missouri, Kansas City, from March 15-18. Students are chosen internationally for the band, again via resume. The national intercollegiate band will be conducted by Gary D. Green, Emeritus Professor of Music and Director of Bands at the Frost School of Music at the University of Miami. Faculty members Hepler and Ronald Stitt will also participate as part of the auditioning committee for the event.