Elementary band students perform for board in meeting

Elementary band students from Pleasant Gap had the chance to perform for the Bellefonte Area school board with a live mini-concert on March 15. According to Elementary Band Director Jayme Zimmerman, it was the first time an elementary music group has had any type of live musical performance since February 2020.

They played “Motzart Melody,” “London Bridge” and “Ode to Joy,” and included 13 fourth- and fifth-grade students from Pleasant Gap Elementary School, where the board meeting was held. For the next several board meetings, it will be hosted at different schools within the district.

“The kids and I had a blast performing for the school board,” Zimmerman said, adding that Principal Duffy Besch reached out to her about a month ago with the request to perform for the board. This helps meet the goals of the board in continuing to recognize students, school programs and more.

“The students were extremely excited,” Zimmerman said. “I just had them for the first time since the performance and it was really neat to talk about our experience. The kids were so proud of how they performed and extremely grateful they had the opportunity to perform in front of a live audience.”

With 102 students this school year in elementary band, the program is open to fourth- and fifth-grade students, with recruitment beginning during the first cycle of school, Zimmerman said. She added that students can select from more than 10 instruments to choose from, which also includes baritone, oboe, trumpet and tuba.

This school year, students participated in virtual concerts in December and celebrated Music in our School Month this March, by performing and recording solos and duets that were compiled into a video shared with district families.

To end the school year, Zimmerman said a series of outdoor concerts is scheduled the week before Memorial Day.