Umoya Band Festival

​Last week 16 members of the 7th and 8th grade middle school band travelled to AISJ in Johannesburg to attend the first Umoya Band Festival.  Our students joined with band members from AISJ, AISJ-Pretoria and AISM-Mozambique to form a group concert band of over 70 students. Working together under the direction of esteemed South African conductor Étienne Macloen and instructed by band teachers from the four participating schools, students worked tirelessly in preparation for the final concert.
​
 When our students arrived in Joburg they were nervous about keeping up with students from other schools whose band programs had been in place far longer than ours, which is only in its second year.  Their worries were quickly allayed as they discovered that all of their hard work had paid off and they were more than well-prepared.  I was so proud to see our students selected to play solos and excel throughout the festival.

This is another fantastic example of how Leopards are not only wonderful scholars and fierce athletes but are also amazing artists, actors, musicians and singers. Go Leopards!

​-Chel Illingworth