On March 11-13, senior Savanna Farley attended the 2026 PMEA Region Band festival in Hazleton, PA, playing the flute in a band of many talented musicians.
Farley was the only one from MAHS to attend Region Band this year, and it was also her first time qualifying.
“I was very excited and happy that I got the chance to go!” said Farley. “Festivals hold a special place in my heart because I love getting opportunities to make music all day, even if I’m tired by the end!”
These festivals are often very taxing, but rewarding, as Farley explained the band practiced for about 10 hours on Thursday and eight hours on Friday before performing their concert.
“Even though it was tiring, it was very fun,” said Farley.
To attend Region Band, students auditioned during the District Band festival — held earlier in February. At the Region-level, these students have the opportunity to audition again, this time to make it to All-State Band.
“Before [the audition], I wasn’t super nervous at all! I had practiced my music as much as I could, but the dates fell for the festival so I was practicing for both Region Band and the musical at the same time, so I knew that my chances of making States were low,” said Farley.
Although she didn’t end up placing high enough to attend the All-State festival, Farley was very proud that she made it further than she expected!
The festival’s guest conductor, whom Farley described as old school, was Dr. Peter Boonshaft. According to Farley, Dr. Boonshaft was on the stricter side compared to other directors she’d experienced in the past, claiming he didn’t make the…[festival] experience much fun.
“We weren’t allowed to talk in rehearsal at all (not even whisper!), and he got extremely frustrated when we didn’t play things correctly on the first try,” said Farley.
Farley also felt as if some of the concert repertoire was too easy to play at a Region-level festival. Despite this, Farley still claimed to have a favorite piece, which was “Khan” by Julie Giroux.
“I played [“Khan”] at District Band as well, and it was so fun to play again! It’s a really pretty (but challenging) piece of music that is super unique,” said Farley.
Overall, the festival was a good learning experience for Farley, and not just in the sense of building musicianship.
“I learned that even though your work may not be appreciated by some people, you can always be proud of how far you’ve come,” said Farley.
FEATURE PHOTO (at top): Senior Savanna Farley poses for a picture in front of the PMEA banner. This festival marked Farley’s seventh PMEA participation pin. Photo from Savanna Farley
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