Last weekend, a select number of Robinson Marching Knights participated in Festival of Winds at the University of South Florida. Festival of Winds is a workshop for high school students in band and gives them the opportunity to come together and play while learning more about music from a group of distinguished teachers.

Cameron Spence (’21), the section leader for Robinson’s french horns, got to participate in Festival of Winds from Dec. 5-8. During his time there, Spence got to play with two bands-one with everyone in the program and one with just french horns-in two concerts.

“Basically during the day we had three hour rehearsals with [the] main band and then we’d go into chamber ensembles, which is specifically just their section, so I had a band with everyone, all the different sections, clarinets, flutes, tubas, everything,” Spence said. “and then I’d go to my own ensemble that was just horns…we did that on Thursday and Friday, then on Saturday we practiced more and did a chamber concert and then on Sunday we had our normal ensemble concert.”

To participate in Festival of Winds, students had to be nominated by Robinson Director of Bands Christopher Revett. Then, they had to record an audition to determine what band they’d be in and what chair they’d hold.

“I ask certain students if they’re interested in doing it and then they fill out a little resume for me… if they’re a student that participates in All-County, Solo and Ensemble, they perform besides just in our band, they do other stuff, those are the kind of kids that I nominate to be in that honor band,” Revett said.

Festival of Winds is just one of the many opportunities that allows Marching Knights to go above and beyond in their music. Robinson students have also participated in honors bands at schools like FSU, Revett noted.

“[it] opened my eyes, there’s a lot more to music than just on the surface, there’s a lot deeper things you can go in, and being in [this band] opens your eyes because you get to be around all these really talented and dedicated musicians,” Spence said.