University musicians participate in festival
WAYNESBURG – This past weekend, five Waynesburg University students traveled to Mansfield University in Mansfield to participate in the 66th Annual Pennsylvania Intercollegiate Band Festival. The students selected represented Waynesburg University with a range of instruments including trumpet, bassoon, alto saxophone, clarinet and tenor saxophone.
The students worked with the 2013 festival’s guest conductor, Lt. Col. Alan L. Bonner. The esteemed conductor spent 26 years with the U.S. Air Force, the last four of which he served as the commander and conductor of the U.S. Air Force Band in Washington, D.C.
Bonner is the current National Executive Director for Kappa Kappa Psi and Tau Beta Sigma National Band Honor Fraternity and Sorority head-quartered in Stillwater, Okla. He has appeared as a guest conductor internationally in Japan, Australia, Norway, Italy and Lithuania.
Waynesburg students who participated in the festival rehearsed extensively with other students and professionals from the commonwealth Friday and Saturday. The official concert was Sunday in the Butler Center at Mansfield University.
Students who participated included: Ryan Condello, a junior business management major from McMurray; Mark Fordyce, a senior business management major from New Freeport; Brittany Nimal, a junior forensic accounting major from Hickory; Emily Roper, a senior biblical and ministries studies major from Shippensburg; and Jonathan Zeleny, a senior arts administration major from Waynesburg.