Two fine art groups at Greene County High School are enjoying some success earlier this week.

The Ram Jive is the jazz choir under the direction of David Heupel. On Monday they hosted the Iowa High School Music Association Jazz Choir Festival, where Ram Jive earned a Division I-rating for a superior performance. Huepel talks about the ensemble’s goals for the year.

“Two of our goals, I always leave the goals in their hands, one of their goals is to get a Division I at state festival and hoping for the Vocal Jazz Championships (to qualify for) again. Those are two big goals of theirs.” 

Heupel adds the jazz choir has gotten a Division I-rating from the state festival 11 out of the past 12 years. 

As for large group speech, Coach Kelley Gray tells Raccoon Valley Radio short film with Nathan Ausberger, Jack Hansen and Brayden Roberts were nominated for the Iowa High School Speech Association All-State Large Group Festival. Ausberger describes what their short film is about and how long it took them to put it together.

“So basically my short film is about the concept of the mobius strip and what kind of an effect that can have on a person. It’s kind of a parody but it’s also kind of serious at the same time. So it kind of has everything. So we kind of brainstormed for a couple of months (and) we made it a week before we were supposed to present it (at districts). So we had a lot of time to make it.”       

The All-State Large Group Speech Festival takes place at Iowa State University on Saturday, February 18th. Click here to see the video.