Central musicians and vocalists excel at District

The Cape Central High School Freshman Band, the Symphonic Band, as well as the Chamber Choir, received Superior ratings, and the Varsity Orchestra received an Excellent rating at the District Music Festival this weekend at the Southeast Missouri State University River Campus.

"Year after year, our music program performs at the highest levels and that is not only good for our continuing stream of student musicians but also it is so very good for our school and for our greater learning community," said Dr. Mike Cowan, principal of Cape Central High School. He credited the high school music faculty (Steven Schaffner, Neil Casey, Billy Keys, Josh LaMar and Dina Casey) and their dedicated students for the program's continued success. Music Department Chair Steven Schaffner said, "We preach to the kids 'practice prevents panic'. A performance experience like this prepares the young people for a host of things later in life-- public speaking, salesmanship, performance, or job interviews to name a few."