North Central West Virginia Honor Band performs at West Virginia Wesleyan College

The performances came after two days of music exercises and rehearsals where the students got to tour Wesleyan's campus and receive instruction from some of the music faculty.

Dr. Robert Palmer, director of athletic and concert bands at the college, said hosting the event was a fun experience due to the enthusiasm from the teachers and students.

"This is incredible. The amount of outreach and engagement that we had from programs around the state has been phenomenal, and I really love seeing the amount of enthusiasm from everyone involved," he said.

Josh Tharp, one of the band directors for the Fairmont Junior Band Alliance, said he and the students have enjoyed being able to perform in the band while experiencing everything the college has to offer.

"Our visit has been fantastic. This is the first time that the band alliance has participated in any honor band at all so it's been a big honor. The kids have really enjoyed it and made a lot of new friends," he said.

"It's been really nice making friends and just being able to play my flute a lot. It's really fun. The biggest thing I've enjoyed is playing the songs and having a good time," seventh-grader Gavin Zicafoose said.

Palmer, as well as the visiting conductors, think that participating in an honor band is a great way for students to improve their music skills while meeting fellow musicians.

"Having students in the Honor Band is a prestigious honor just because they get to exhibit their musicianship skills with other students in the area and they get to socialize with other band students that normally don't go to their schools. They also get to experience college life a little bit and learn a lot from guest conductors," Tharp said.

"I think that having the ability to engage the community and engage programs from around the state in a high level arts education is truly a unique thing, and it's something that I feel Wesleyan prides itself on," Palmer said.

The conductors also think that having the students participate in the concert can increase their love of music.

"I really think it's important to expose students to music early just because this could be their future. When they go to college, they can major in music or they can major in any other field and still have music as an outlet to do on the side or to help pay for their college," Tharp said.

"It's been fantastic to see the students work with wonderful guest conductors and to see them learn and experience music at a much higher level than what they're probably used to. They're able to put on a really great product for their family," Palmer said.

As the visiting students return home, Palmer hopes the experience of participating in the Honor Band will stick with the students as they continue their musical pursuits.

"I'm wanting the students and visiting directors to take away a renewed love for music and a really positive experience from campus. We have representation from over 20 programs, and it's great to see and work with these directors and to have them on campus as well," he said.