The Perry High School band and choir performed a final home concert for the 2016-2017 school year at the Perry Performing Arts Center Monday, with the evening carrying extra emotions due to the pending departure of popular Instrumental Music Instructor Brandon Weeks.
Weeks, who will assume similar duties at North Polk High School in August, said the students made the decision for him and wife Leah to leave Perry a difficult one.
He praised the students, their efforts and commitment and said they should not worry about the future because he was confident they all had the talent to meet any new challenges.
Weeks presented a series of instrumental music awards, beginning with the Karl King Award. Two students from each class received recognition, with their own classmates voting on the honor.
Receiving the King Award were seniors Edwardo Medina and Allie Hopkins, juniors Breanna Penenger and Vivian Gonzalez, sophomores Adriana Eastman and Brianna Fields and freshmen Migual Constanza and Dannah Karolus.
The Iowa Bandmasters Association Award of Merit, presented to “the top upperclassman for attitude, effort and commitment,” was presented to Penenger.
The highest honor given each year is the John Philip Sousa Award, given to a musician for “outstanding achievement and interest in instrumental music, for singular merit in loyalty and cooperation, and for displaying those high qualities of conduct that school instrumental music requires.” The 2017 recipient was Hopkins.
Ten seniors were saluted for their dedication to the program. They were Brian Amaya, Devon Archer, Lauren Benjamin, Brennan Carrillo, Allie Hopkins, Edwardo Medina, Zach Mills, Jario Murillo, Jacob Murillo and Samantha Paulin.
Before the stage was reset for the choir’s performance, Hopkins took to the microphone in an unscripted salute to the popular Weeks, who did his student teaching at PHS before coming to the school in his current role for the 2014-2015 school year.
Hopkins noted that the students were close to the affable Weeks because “it felt like you were one of us.”
She praised Weeks for “helping us understand what we needed to be better musicians and better people” while noting each rehearsal always ended with his signature sign-off: “Have a good day, and make good decisions.”
Weeks was then presented with a bulging folder containing handwritten remarks and well wishes from the students.
Prior to the awards, the band performed “Hosts of Freedom” by King, “Yorkshire Ballad” by Barnes and “Dawning Day” by Cross.
Vocal Music Director Jenn Nelson introduced the Treble Clef Choir, who sang “Letter From a Girl to the World” by Ramsey and “Dies Irae” from Stroope. The Concert Choir performed Mozart’s “Ave Verum Corpus” and “Oye” by Papoulis, arranged by Nunez.
High Point Letter Winners among the vocalists were honored. Requiring at least 200 points, the 2016-17 winners compiled nearly twice that number. Honored were Emma Olejniczak, Karley Whelchel, Saydee Strough, Breanna Penenger, Madyson Hill, Adriana Eastman, Dannah Karolus and Sarah Vaughn. Recognized as the Highest Point winners were Breanna Penenger and Madyson Hill.
Two seniors are chosen each year by their peers for the Perry Choral Award, given for “outstanding musicianship and leadership,” with Olejniczak and Whelchel capturing this year’s honors.
The final award, the Iowa Choral Directors Association Senior Choral Award, was presented to Haley Vaughn. The honor recognizes “superior all-around musicianship by a senior who has demonstrated personal musical growth, displayed genuine interest in all aspects of choral art and exceptional qualities of musical leadership.”
