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MARCH 17, 2025—The Pal-Mac Music Program was proud to host the 2025 Junior and Senior High All-County Instrumental Festival on Friday and Saturday.

The annual festival welcomes student musicians from all 13 Wayne County school districts. This marked the first time in 12 years that Pal-Mac hosted the competition. A host is selected based on a rotational setup among those other school districts.

Middle School Band Director Liz Kockler said she and High School Band Director Debra Davis, in coordination with the entire music department, began preparing to host the festival for over a year.

“It’s a lot of work to host the festival but all of the teachers in our county feel passionately about providing this enriching musical experience for our students,” Kockler said. “We have an amazing group of instrumental music colleagues in Wayne county! The students work so hard on their audition music just to be selected, and then continue to work hard to prepare for the festival.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

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1992 graduate Heather Trapiss (center) leads the Jr. High student rehearsal in the band room

As part of the host role, Kockler said the program had the opportunity to select the guest conductors. The Junior High group was  conducted by Heather Trapiss, a 1992 Pal-Mac grad who teaches at Pittsford Sutherland High School.  

The Senior High group was conducted by Dan Hayes, a teacher on Long Island at Three Village Central Schools.

Students rehearsed as a group on Friday before performances happened on Saturday. Kockler says students had just six weeks to learn the music before coming together for the festival.

 

Dan Hayes (center) leads a warm up during the Sr. High rehearsal on the PAC stage)

The selection process for All County is rigorous in itself, as it involves an intense audition process, which makes being selected a  big honor.

Kockler also gave credit to a parent crew from the MS and HS Music Boosters for helping making the festival special.

Congrats to the following Pal Mac students who participated:

Middle School

Carsten Camp, Ben Combs, Caleb Eder, Henrik Greapentrog, Charlie Ike, Addison Israel, Amelia Jesse, Emma Jowly, Oscar Lofgren, Reese Newman, Hanna Robinson, Nora Rowe, Lily Stephens

 

High School

Dylan Becker, Ezekiel Bransford, Isaiah Bransford, Dylan Courtney, Ella Eakins, Elizabeth Jesse, Andrew Newman, James Sanson

 

More pictures can be found by clicking here.