Twenty-nine band and chorus students from Randolph-Macon Academy attended the 37th Military School Band Festival (MSBF) February 22-24, 2013, at Fork Union Military Academy in Fork Union, VA.
Randolph-Macon Academy band students Doug Brennand and Lucy Dong earned first chair honors at the event. Brennand, a sophomore at Randolph-Macon Academy, earned first chair for the tuba section, while Dong, a freshman at Randolph-Macon, earned first chair for mallet percussion. Both students received a silver MSBF medal. In addition, chorus participant Margot Cramer, a junior at the Academy, received the Outstanding Choral Musician Award.
Bringing together military colleges and schools from around the nation, the Festival provides students with the opportunity to learn from professional musicians, and also recognizes outstanding student performers. After a weekend of clinics, competition, and rehearsals, the student musicians perform a concert for the local area. The Festival rotates locations every year; in 2014 the clinics and competitions will take place at Randolph-Macon Academy in Front Royal, VA. The concluding concert will take place at the annual conference of the Association of Military Colleges and Schools of the United States (AMCSUS), in recognition of the organization’s 100th anniversary.
Randolph-Macon Academy (R-MA), founded in 1892, is a college-preparatory, coeducational day and boarding school for students in grades 6 through 12. Students in grades 9-12 participate in R-MA’s 91st Air Force Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps (JROTC) and have the option to participate in a unique flight program. R-MA is affiliated with the United Methodist Church and is located in Front Royal, VA.