Medina will start ‘Mini Mustang Band’ for grades 5, 6

Group will make debut performance at Memorial Day Parade

MEDINA – The school district will be starting a the Medina Mini-Mustang Band in early March, with the group of fifth- and sixth-graders to make their debut performance during the Memorial Day Parade on May 25.

Medina typically has 80 to 100 students in the marching band in grade 7 to 12. The Mini-Mustang Band will give the elementary students a taste of the marching band, and hopefully encourage more of them to join the Mustang Band as they get older and enter seventh grade.

The Mini-Mustang Band will be led by Kyla Leno-Denise and Andrea Busch, who are both assistant band directors of the Mustang Band.

Leno-Denise is the junior high band director and a general music teacher. Busch teaches primary school music and also directs the Glee Club.

The Mini-Mustang Band will rehearse on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 5 to 6 p.m. They will wear a uniform T-shirt for Memorial Day.

Leno-Denise and Busch said the band gives students two more hours a week on their instruments and will prepare them to join the band, which they said is a source of community pride for Medina.

The Board of Education on Tuesday approved the Mini-Mustang Band. Leno-Denise and Busch said they will be reaching out to students and families about being part of the new band.

Medina music teachers went over their very active music program at the district during Tuesday’s board meeting.

They also highlighted another new initiative, a jazz performance at Lyndonville on April 24. “A Night of Jazz” will feature performances by Lyndonville, Medina and likely other districts in the county. It is a concert put on by the Orleans County Music Educators Association. Some of the teachers also are expected to perform.

The jazz concert is expected to be hosted by other districts in the county in the future.