Seven standout Austin High School band students recently took part in the 66th Annual Dorian Band Festival at Luther College. Representing AHS in the Symphonic Band were Jacob Burkhart (trumpet) and Isaac Schumacher (percussion). Participating in the Noble Band were Quin Brunner (oboe), Katie Maxa (trumpet), Ethan Miller (trombone), and Matthew Knoll (euphonium).  Tristan Lund (horn) represented AHS in the Sperati Band. The Dorian festival is the midwest’s largest honor band, drawing 500 students from nearly 150 schools throughout Iowa, Minnesota, and Wisconsin. The festival began in 1949, when Luther College Band Director Weston Noble invited 20 local high schools to participate in a new music festival.  The event grew rapidly, and has brought well over 90,000 music students to the Decorah, Iowa campus over the years. Supervising the students over the two-day festival was AHS band director Bradley Mariska, who himself attended the Dorian Band Festival as a trombone player in 1998.
Photo provided