Full Circle: NIC Wind Symphony Welcomes Middle School Musicians for “Gathering of the Bands”

Wednesday evening, musicians at very different points in their music careers gathered to perform in the first concert of the 2023 fall semester.

Middle school students from all over the Coeur d’Alene area came to NIC’s Boswell Hall to perform in a double-feature concert along with NIC’s wind symphony. 

Kellogg Middle School teacher Hunter Strobel said that he was excited about the opportunity for students to meet other musicians their age. “We purposely sat them next to kids they don’t know,” Strobel said.

Strobel was also glad his students had the chance to perform with musicians who had been playing instruments for a long time, explaining that he sees music as a good place for people who may feel like they don’t fit in elsewhere.

“It’s a great outlet for students who don’t find that avenue in other places,” Strobel said. Band has a reputation of being a place for misfits, and Strobel finds that to be a good thing. “Not everyone loves football or basketball.”

The concert lasted a brief hour and a half, and drew a sizable crowd of predominantly community members and families rather than young NIC students. 

NIC’s Wind Symphony put on an impressive performance. Their opening piece was “Liberty Fanfare” composed by John Williams of Star Wars fame.

“Lonely Beach” rumbled the Performing Arts Center with sporadic trumpets and abrupt snapping drums, imitating the chaos of the landings at Normandy on D-Day in 1944, an iconic moment of World War Two. Musicians were positioned offstage, around the auditorium, to give concertgoers a magnified surround-sound experience. 

Sam Denney is a sophomore at NIC and plays alto saxophone in the NIC Wind Symphony. He was surprised by the turnout for the concert.

“I was pleased. It was nice to perform in front of so many people,” Denney said. 

The concert returns Thursday night for a repeat performance at 7p.m.