Water Valley Band Celebrates Achievements, Plans For Spring Concert
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Water Valley Band Director Wes Brown directs students during the band’s Christmas Concert on Dec. 8 at the newly renovated civic auditorium, where sixth, seventh and high school musicians performed holiday selections for family and friends.
Water Valley High School Band – Spring Update 2026
By Wes Brown – WV High School Band Director
We had a really fun and successful marching season this year, receiving an Excellent rating at evaluations. Our drumline, color guard and drum major all received Superior ratings.
As football season concluded, we began preparations for our Christmas Concert, which took place on Dec. 8. The Christmas concert is always an exciting time because there is a strong emphasis on having fun with music and celebrating the friendships that come through being in band together.
Skylar Jordan and Cohen Hart represented Water Valley in two prestigious honor band events this year, participating in the Mississippi Band Directors Association Honor Band Clinic in Natchez and later attending the Ole Miss Honor Band.
Our sixth-grade band marked its very first performance with “Jingle Bells,” and the seventh-grade band showed incredible growth from their last performance. The Christmas Concert felt extra special this year because we were able to perform in the newly reopened Civic Auditorium. Everyone commented on how beautiful it looked and how special it felt to be there again.
Each year during the second week of December, students and band directors from across Mississippi gather in Natchez for the Mississippi Band Directors Association clinic and honor band. Water Valley had two students selected for this event, Skylar Jordan and Cohen Hart. It is a great experience for them to learn alongside students from across the state and work with guest directors who bring different teaching styles and ideas. Band directors also attend classes and discussions on ways to improve their programs and conducting skills.
In January, I spend time with all grade levels working on fundamental skills while we also begin selecting music for our spring concert evaluations. Students also worked hard on a Money Dolly fundraiser to help raise funds for new uniforms. During uniform fittings this past year, we realized that new uniforms will be necessary next year due to the growing number of students participating in band.
The Ice Storm created a difficult situation for our students. Two weeks of missed rehearsals set us behind schedule in learning our evaluation music. Typically, schools perform three songs at evaluations, but because the storm impacted so many schools, the rules were adjusted this year. We only had to perform two songs and were able to choose the two pieces we had already been working hard on.
We were very nervous going into evaluations this year and weren’t sure what to expect. We received Excellent ratings on our two prepared songs and Superior ratings in sight reading. I was especially excited about the Superior rating in sight reading because it truly demonstrates the musicianship of these students.
Alivia Yelverton and Melondi Surrette warm up on flutes.
Sight reading works by having students enter a room with three judges and receive music written specifically for the event that they have never seen before. They are given eight minutes to look at the music and discuss it, but they are not allowed to play a single note until they begin performing for the judges. It shows that students have truly learned how to read music and perform it independently.
From Feb. 26–28, Skylar Jordan and Cohen Hart also attended the Ole Miss Honor Band. They spent two days working with a guest conductor and performed alongside students from across the region, including some from outside Mississippi.
As we concluded our fundraiser this year, we realized we did not have enough money to begin purchasing new uniforms next year. After discussing options, I was contacted by Mrs. Lucia Holloway. She told me she wanted to make a donation that would cover the full cost of new uniforms, next year’s music and show, as well as several other projects and instrument maintenance. I cannot begin to express how thankful and grateful I am for her incredible generosity.
We are now looking forward to our Spring Concert, which will take place in April. Students will perform the music they learned for evaluations along with several new selections. We will also showcase the hard work that our sixth- and seventh-grade bands have put in this year.
Spring is a time to show growth, and I feel incredibly blessed to be part of this community and in the lives of such worthy and amazing kids.
