McIntosh band joins in JanFest

Members of the McIntosh band program recently worked with some of the top music professors, teachers, and composers in the United States at the University of Georgia’s JanFest.

Leo Gil was picked for the Honor Wind Ensemble with the highest overall scoring students for the event. Mingu Kim was picked for Honor Wind Symphony, and Sophia Nam was picked for Honor Symphonic Winds. Erica Bourque, Josh Hermann, and Scarlett Votin were picked for Honor Concert Winds. Mathew Allen, Aran Anuraj, Lou Brown, Driola Hoti, Sam Love, Seth Love, Brennan Ryfa, and Dane Walker also played, split across four other bands.

The Honor groups play mastery course high school music and college-level music. The remaining groups play high school-level music. Participants attend master classes in addition to practices and a performance. Typical festival attendance is approximately 1,000 students from 130 schools. Directors and other adult chaperones accompany students to Athens for the event.

JanFest, a pioneering band invitational established in 1950, is a three-day event for high school band musicians. Students are nominated for participation by their band director, and UGA Bands staff selects participants based on the order of the director’s submission, the instrumentation need of the festival bands, and the reported musical achievements of each student.