Members of the festival choir rehearse for their performance. [Photo by KHS Athletic Director Tim Atwell]

***William Ly is a participant of The Kewanee Voice Student Journalism Program, funded by the Harry Anderson Memorial Trust.

On Monday, Kewanee High School hosted the Three Rivers Athletic Conference Music Festival.

Every year, band and choir directors from TRAC schools nominate their band and choir students to participate in this annual festival. 

This year’s lineup included Erie, Hall, Kewanee, Mendota, Mercer County, Monmouth-Roseville, Newman Central Catholic, Orion, Princeton, Prophetstown, Riverdale, Rockridge, and Sherrard. 

Lisa Atwell gets a smile from the band’s performance. [Photo by KHS Athletic Director Tim Atwell]
Katie Bartok, KHS choir director, took this photo of the Kewanee High School choir members who took part in the festival.

The Boilers sent 17 members of the band and 16 performers from the choir to perform in this event. These students are listed at the end of the article.

The festival always begins with students arriving at KHS around noon. Musicians gather their materials and head to Petersen Auditorium or Brockman Gymnasium, where they will spend the next four-to-five hours practicing alongside perfect strangers. 

This year, both groups rehearsed under a high school director. The band was led by Lisa Preston, recently retired band director of Normal West High School. Dr. Lara Reem, Washington Community High School’s choir teacher and Bradley University’s community choir director, instructed the choir. 

After their long rehearsals, students ate dinner as they waited for their concert. The dinner, provided by the Kewanee Music Boosters, consistently gives students the chance to get to know their colleagues from the Three Rivers Conference. It is uncommon for so many musicians from different schools to gather in one area.

Following the dinner, students gathered in Brockman Gym to perform for their audience. Readers can listen to the band and choir’s performance from the Boilers’ YouTube channel, Kewanee High School Sports & Special Events. Here’s a link to the livestream: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QKjlQNwGRCQ.

Festival participants from Kewanee High were:

Band:

Mikayla Israel – Flute

Claire Olalde – Oboe

Jorden Anderson – Clarinet

Annie Campbell – Clarinet

Aaliyah Leon – Clarinet

Govany Paredes – Clarinet

Faith Frykman – Bass Clarinet

William Ly – Alto Saxophone

Brayden Johnson (Substitute) – Alto Saxophone

Brennyn Ford – French Horn

Miguel Gamez – Tenor Saxophone

Cosette Komnick (Substitute) – Tenor Saxophone

Avery Stisser – Trumpet

Sophia Weber – Trumpet

Dillon Price – Trombone

Rebeca Corral – Trombone

Quentin Bloome – Percussion

Choir:

Abigail Wyant – Soprano

Aloria Button – Soprano

Alexis Fosu – Tenor

Suzy Paredes – Soprano

Julia Pendergrass – Soprano

Khloe Yelm – Alto

Nayeli Leon – Alto

Olivia Mitchell – Alto

Karina Wims – Alto

Kaiden Goffrier – Tenor

Cameron Bates – Tenor

Dade Aldred – Tenor

Marcos Torres – Tenor

Thomas Dereu – Bass

Dalton Swearingen – Bass

Caleb Wyant – Bass