High school band students in Perry are preparing to host their largest fundraiser of the year next week.
The Perry Band Olympics will take place Saturday, February 20th. The 32nd annual solo and ensemble contest draws in more than a thousand students and thousands of spectators.
Perry Band Director Brandon Weeks says it’s a great experience for the students as they get direct feedback from professional judges.
“We split the centers up into seven minute timeslots. In that seven-minute timeslot (the students) will perform a solo or ensemble depending on if it’s a bunch of kids and then they’ll get a chance to get feedback from a judge and then they’ll also get a rating, based on how they perform.”
Weeks says this event is one of the largest of its kind in the United States and is run almost entirely by students.
The Band Olympics go from 8am until 4:30pm at the Perry High School and the public is welcome to attend and watch the competition.