Tenth annual dinner concert Friday night

 

COAL GROVE — Tom Zerkle, Dawson-Bryant’s band director, is sporting a new haircut thanks to his students.

The middle school band members participated in the Ohio Music Education Association district 17 solo and ensemble festival at Ohio University in Athens on Saturday, March 3. The students participated in 26 events, 17 solo and nine ensemble.

“The deal with the kids was that they had to have at least 14 events receive a superior rating to shave my head,” Zerkle said.

Out of the 26 events, 18 students received a rating of superior or a rating of excellent.

“They kept track of it throughout the entire day,” Zerkle said.

The students who received superior ratings were Emily Wilcox, Taylor West, Matthew Steele, Lindsey Cremeans, Jacob Bentley, Kimberly Schmidt, Kelsey Reffitt, Logan Zerkle, Shelby Sparks, Brandon Neff and Katie Webb.

“It was memorable. I was true to my word,” Zerkle said. “If they did what I asked, then I would do it. It was frightening at first when I handed the clippers to teenagers because you don’t know what they are going to do.”

The students who received an excellent rating were Isabelle Adams, Makayla Freeman, Morgan Null, Kelsey Reffitt, Sarah Nickel and Ashley Neice.

“It motivated them to practice and focus on what they were preparing for,” Zerkle said. “I’ve never seen a group of kids get this excited to participate.”

Dawson-Bryant will have its 10th annual dinner concert on Friday night, with a spaghetti dinner starting at 6 p.m. and the concert at 7 p.m.

The high school concert band, percussion ensemble and jazz band will perform. Door prizes will be given away. Proceeds will go toward new band uniforms.

“We estimate that in a couple of years, we won’t have enough uniforms. We are growing, adding more kids and running out of uniforms,” Zerkle said.