Local students unite for All-County Band concert
Members of ACHS and CHS bands formed the All-County Band last week and performed under the direction of Ron Rogers, a nationally recognized conductor.
The event featured two days of rehearsals, followed by a virtual concert livestreamed by ACTV on Wednesday. More than 100 students participated under the guidance of lifelong Knox County resident Ron Rogers.
Clinton High School Band Director Matthew Bimstein said the goal was to unite band students from across Anderson County and offer them a firsthand experience similar to regional honor band events.
“Every year we send students to either the ETSBOA (East Tennessee School Band and Orchestra Association) Jazz honor band clinic or the ETSBOA All-State East honor band clinic, which bring the best students in East Tennessee together to perform under the guidance of a guest clinician,” Bimstein said. “We had conversations about how to get more students into these events and ultimately decided to host our own event, as many counties do.”
Bimstein said the All County Band specifically targets students who typically do not audition for honor bands, making it highly beneficial since it began last year.
“The benefits come from performing with students they don’t see daily,” Bimstein said. “Instruction from the guest clinician gives them a glimpse of what regional and national honor bands offer. The hope is students will see they can perform at the next level.”
The Jazzy Dragons will perform at the Mosaic Arts Festival on Saturday, April 12, at the Clinton Community Center, 101 S. Hicks St.
A series of fundraisers are planned as well, including:
n Panda Express Dine-In Nights: Tuesday, April 29; Thursday, May 29, at Panda Express, 375 S. Illinois Ave., in Oak Ridge.
n Blaze Pizza Dine-In Night: Tuesday, April 15, at Blaze Pizza, 113 N. Peters Road, Knoxville.
Most of these events will donate 20 percent of all sales made to the CHS band, Bimstein said.
“These funds will be used to purchase new instruments, help with expected transportation cost for the 2025 season, as well as help pay for supplemental instruction for band camp and throughout the year,” he said. For more information, visit clintonband.com or linktree.com/clintonband.
