News Photo by Julie Goldberg The Hillman Jr./Sr. High School symphonic wind ensemble practices Pomp and Circumstance for graduation. Teacher Ben Witter said the symphonic wind ensemble class should double in size next year.

HILLMAN — In January, the Hillman Community Schools Board of Education voted to hire Ben Witter as the new band director. Since then, Witter has restarted the program and said the students are both excited about what’s coming next year for the band program.

“It’s been absolutely amazing,” Witter said. “It has been everything that I hoped it would be and then more. The students have worked really hard and I’m really proud of them. I’m really impressed at what they can play in just a short amount of time.”

Students at both elementary school and junior/senior high school were able to take beginner band, music appreciation, or symphonic wind ensemble this semester, and Witter has plans to expand the band program more at the elementary school.

“I’ll be teaching kindergarten so I’ll be doing K-5 there instead of just three, four, and five,” he said. “I’ll be doing general music (kindergarten) through second grade, recorders third grade, and I’ll start beginning band in fourth and fifth grade.”

With this year’s fifth-graders taking beginner band, Witter thinks the symphonic wind ensemble class is going to double to at least 25 to 30 students. Witter said the students are all going to learn more next year.

“They’re going to play a lot more, especially being every day because I think before it was just once or twice a week,” he said. “The daily thing, I see a big difference but next year having a full year everyday, the band will grow even stronger.”

Witter also has plans to start a marching band at the junior/senior high school next year with the students who are in symphonic wind ensemble.

“We’ll have marching band camp in the summer and then we’ll start doing football games,” he said. “We’re also going to start a jazz band and then we’re also going to perform at basketball games with the pep band so we’re adding more things here.”

Witter said with marching band, the symphonic wind ensemble class is going to focus on marching band and when the season ends, the students will go back to concert music. He said the students are excited about marching band starting next year.

“None of them have marched before, especially the fifth-graders coming up to sixth grade,” Witter said. “Nobody knows anything so we got to start with teaching them the basics and go from there, but they’re excited about it.”

Eighth-grader Todd Cornelius said the symphonic wind ensemble class improved a lot this semester.

“This has been our third band teacher in two years and I believe that it is quite an improvement that we’ve made,” he said.

Sophomore Madison Munger was in Atlanta’s band before moving to Hillman and she said the improvement the band has made in just a semester is unbelieveable.

“Some of the kids had no idea how to play their instruments,” she said.

Witter said the community has been supportive about the band program. The symphonic wind ensemble had a concert on Tuesday and the community gave the students a standing ovation.

“There was a cool buzz when I told them we’re going to do marching band and they’re all excited because it’s been a long time since they’ve had a marching band perform,” Witter said.

Witter said being able to run a band program is a new and exciting thing for him.

“It’s kind of rejuvenated me because it’s something different then what I was doing for so long and I’m just really excited,” he said. “I wake up everyday excited to come and do my job.”

Sophomore Brianna Mulder said all the people she’s met in band this semester are amazing.

“You make really good friends in band,” she said. “Mr. Witter has also been amazing.”

Julie Goldberg can be reached via email at jgoldberg@thealpenanews.com or by phone at 358-5688.