Students Get Music Lesson from Dixieland Band
By: Eddie Randle
Updated: January 31, 2013
The 6th grade band program helps prepare sixth graders to be musicians in junior high.
Kirby band director Shirley Johnston says she was teaching a lesson on Dixieland music and thought in the spirit of Mardi Gras why not show the students something different.
"We have a great resource right here in Wichita Falls the Mad Medics and what better thing for these kids to see than a live Dixieland Jazz Band," Johnston says.
The Mad Medics are a Dixieland band made up of local musicians, physicians and businessmen all coming together to showcase their love for music.
And the kids seemed to take a lot from this experience.
Darius Williams, a trumpet player in the 6th grade band, tuned into the trumpet player.
"He didn't stop in the middle of it he kept on going and going through the whole thing," says Williams.
Darrian Parish says her mother inspired her love for music and followed in her footsteps in playing the clarinet.
She was in the Southern Hills Elementary band last year and even though she understands music this experience is an eye and ear opener.
"They each had their own solo and it was just different," says Parrish.
"Practice practice we says that word allot. It really does something for them and if they really build on that and if they just keep working they're going to get better and they're going to get to do lots of fun stuff like these guys do," Johnston explains.
But it is the words of encouragement from a mad medics band member inspiring these students to reach for even higher notes.
Eddie Randle... KFDX 3 News.
Next week, Eddie will go to Washington Jackson Elementary to highlight the academic U.I.L. competition.
