Pleasant Hill band concert starts early Thursday

Katie Krei, Andrew LaFon, Hannah Selander and Audrey Groeper (from left) are the four seniors at the core of Pleasant Hill’s band program, which will entertain the community live on YouTube

Four seniors will be among two dozen student musicians who will perform Thursday, March 18, during the spring band concert at Pleasant Hill High School.

The concert will be performed live in the high school band room while the audience views three groups entertain by navigating to “Emerald Performing Arts Live” on YouTube starting at 6 p.m.

Four seniors are among members of the wind ensemble, the Solar Jazz group and a jazz foursome, reports Zac Tendrick, the high school and middle school band instructor.

The seniors are Hanna Selander, trombone; Audrey Groeper, clarinet and alto saxophone; Katie Krei, trumpet; and Andrew LaFon, trumpet.

“We do zoom instruction during the morning and have students come to school in the afternoon,” Tendrick said. “We have a band room big enough so that we can fit in all the students by distancing and by using instrument covers.”

Tendrick, a 2002 Pleasant Hill High School graduate, has taught middle and high school band there for five years.

“We are going to do the spring jazz festival again next year during which bands from all over the area are invited,” he said. The popular event has been canceled two years because of the COVID-19 pandemic.