Custer students selected for Augustana Band Festival

Chronicle Staff

Published: Tuesday, November 25th, 2008

Custer High School band members Nicholas Castro, Ariel Cisneros and Michelle DeHaven were selected to represent Custer High School at the 51st annual Augustana College Concert Band Festival in Sioux Falls Nov. 14-15 on the Augustana College campus. About 325 high school instrumentalists and 70 band directors representing schools from Iowa, Minnesota, North Dakota and South Dakota attended this two-day event.   CHS band instructor Jennifer Fisher accompanied her student musicians to the festival. Up to 12 students from each school may be nominated for the festival, and the top musicians from the five-state region are chosen for the event.  Those selected spent their weekend attending rehearsals, clinics, recitals and recreational activities. A grand finale concert was held Saturday, Nov. 15, in the Great Hall of the Washington Pavilion. The concert featured the Augustana Band, conducted by Dr. Bruce Ammann, and the three festival bands.   Participating high school musicians performed in one of these three festival bands under the direction of guest conductor Ray Cramer, director of Bands Emeritus from Indiana University, Dr. Bruce Ammann, director of Bands at Augustana College, and Dr. Paul Schilf, associate director of Bands at Augustana College.