Doniphan Band Holds Spring Concert

Band director Donny Falk, right, presents Kyle Beston the Arion award.

Photos by Albert Morrow

The Doniphan R-I band gave their last concert of the 2021-2022 school year on Thursday, April 28 at the high school gym. It was a mix of classic rock and roll, television and movie themes and original works.

The beginning band started the evening with “Let’s Rock” by Michael Sweeney, a piece they finished by shouting, “Let’s rock!”

They followed it with “Anasazi” by John Edmundson and “R.O.C.K.” by John Cougar Mellencamp.

Donny Falk, right, presents Carson Arnold the John Phillips Sousa award.

In honor of the war in Ukraine, the concert band began the middle set by playing Timothy Johnson’s “Freedom Force.”

“Our thoughts are with its [Ukraine’s] soldiers, wives, children and all of its citizens,” said Band Director Donny Falk.

The concert band went on to play “Johnny B. Good” by Chuck Berry, chosen because of the music’s inclusion in the movie Back to the Future. They also played the theme from Jurassic Park and an arrangement of the theme from the animated series Gravity Falls. Unable to find sheet music for the cartoon theme music, Falk took piano music for the piece and did an original arrangement for his students, he said in his preparatory remarks.

Kyle Beston playing guitar with jazz band.

The music was halted for the presentation of the year’s band awards.

Eighth grade student Amanda Chesworth was honored for her role as the drum major with the Director’s Award. Sophomore Kyle Beston was presented with the Arion Award, a national recognition given to students for outstanding achievement in band, orchestra or chorus.

The last honor of the evening was given to Carson Arnold. A senior who has been a member of the band since his sixth grade year, Arnold was presented with the John Phillip Sousa Award, the highest award a band director can give to a student.

Spring band concert on April 28 featured beginning band, concert band, and jazz band. Pictured above (beginning band) left to right row 1:Zakary Civils, Carl Russel, Drew Rogers, Adina Burns, Crockett VerKuiellen, Hayden Young, Cai Radford, Molly Rainbolt. Row 2: Carmen Chesworth, Lydia Frazier, Faithly Stadler, Xander Poe, Connor Wells, Brecken Barnett, Emmett Cote, Landyn Hubbard. Row 3: Brody Limbaugh, Garrett Bridges, Mariah Payne.

Staff photo by Stephanie House

“We’re going to miss you in the fall,” Falk said to Arnold as he gave him the award. To the audience, the band director said, “He was the first person I had in jazz who wanted to improvise.”

The middle and high school band members resumed the concert by joining together to perform the traditional blues piece “Tadpole Blues” by Dean Sorenson. After that the high school jazz band, assisted by Falk, played two original pieces. The first was a joint composition between Falk and one of his students, Zachary Gray, a senior currently doing mission work in Africa. Falk took a musical theme created by Gray and worked it into a composition he dubbed “Goodnight Seattle.”

The last piece of the concert was created by Carson Arnold.

“I made the piece because I love old film music, with all the exaggerated parts and progressions, so I arranged a leitmotif based on a classic film and built up new things around it,” said Arnold.

The concert was the first time “Carson’s Piece” was performed before an audience and Arnold was very nervous, he said.

“Thankfully it turned out well and everyone said that it was good,” he said after the concert.

Band Director Falk concluded the evening by thanking the audience for attending and ended with parting remarks.

“Learning how to play an instrument makes us smarter, relieves stress and anxiety and allows us to express ourselves in ways that words can’t. Tonight you have witnessed the miracle of your child’s music education. I hope that you have enjoyed the experience,” he said.