Students on all-county middle school band

Published 9:26 am Thursday, November 30, 2017

The 2017 Davie County All-County Middle School Band Clinic took place on Nov. 3 and 4 on the campus of the new Davie County High School.

The all-county clinic is an honors ensemble comprised of the most talented middle school band students from across Davie County. This year, 91 students were selected to perform.

To be eligible, students had to audition by performing scales, a solo, and a sight-reading. Those students earning placement into the band came together and rehearsed music they had never played before with a guest clinician.

After nine rehearsal hours, the experience culminated in a concert for parents, families, and friends.    

This year’s guest clinician was Quincy Lundy, band director at Walkertown middle and high schools.  Lundy is in his 16th year of teaching band and is in his sixth year as director of those bands. In December 2013, Mr. Lundy was selected as the 2013-14 Walkertown Middle School Teacher of the Year and in 2016 was selected as the WSFCS Band Director of the Year. Prior to teaching band in public school, he performed as a clarinetist in the U.S. Marine Corps Band at Camp Lejeune and Paris Island. During his military service, he served as band platoon sergeant and audio recording/reinforcement engineer for the concert band, jazz band, and ceremonial band national concert tours. In 2001, he was awarded the Navy/Marine Corps Achievement Medal for composing an arrangement of “God Bless the USA” for the Paris Island Marine Band.

After completing Marine Corps basic and combat training, Lundy attended and graduated from the Armed Forces School of Music in Norfolk, Va. where he earned academic awards and later earned a bachelor’s degree in music education from Winston-Salem State University where he was recipient of the WSSU Fine Arts Academic Award and graduated with honors. Lundy is a member of the N.C. Music Educators Association and the National Association for Music Education.

Students performed the following pieces: Vandivere Fanfare, A Song for Friends, Comet Ride, Raider’s March from the Indiana Jones movies, and Do-Re-Mi from the 1959 Rodgers and Hammerstein musical, The Sound of Music.

“The students worked very hard during rehearsals, gave a fantastic performance, and were excited to have the chance to play on the new high school stage,” said Justin McCrary,  South Davie band director and Northwest District Middle School All-District Clinic Chair.

The middle school directors thank the Davie High School administration, faculty, and staff for the use of their facility, Jinda Haynes and Beth Keville of Davie County Schools, the middle school administrators, and to the parents, families, and friends in attendance.

Rebekah Edwards, DCHS Theater Arts Director, allowed use of the performing/classroom space, and Andrew Jimeson, DCHS Director of Bands, assisted before, during, and after the clinic.