Oldham County Middle School Band

08/15/2026

🎶 What an amazing day for our OCMS 6th Grade Band! 🎶

Today we held our 6th Grade Sectional Day, and our students absolutely shined. They were so respectful, focused, and eager to learn—it was a joy to watch them grow as musicians in such a short time. 💙

A HUGE thank you to our incredible paraprofessionals who came in to work with each section. Their expertise, patience, and encouragement made this day a true success, and we are so grateful for the time and energy they pour into our students. 🙌
If today is any indication, this is going to be an amazing year with the OCMS 6th Grade Band. We can’t wait to see all the wonderful things these young musicians will accomplish! 🎵✨

07/08/2026

🎶❤️ What an unforgettable experience! ❤️🎶

The Oldham County Middle School Wind Ensemble has returned home from the 2026 American School Band Directors Association's 66th National Convention, and what an incredible journey it has been!

Our students represented Oldham County Middle School, our community, and the Commonwealth of Kentucky with extraordinary musicianship, professionalism, and pride. Their performance was one we will never forget, and I couldn't be more proud of each and every member of this remarkable ensemble.

A very special thank you goes to our amazing 8th grade students, who willingly gave up nearly a month of their summer break to rehearse after school had already ended. Their dedication, commitment, and work ethic made this opportunity possible, and they set an incredible example of what can be accomplished through perseverance and teamwork.

To our wonderful parents and families—thank you for your endless encouragement, flexibility, and support throughout this entire journey. Your belief in these students and our program means more than you know.

Thank you to our outstanding chaperones for taking care of our students and helping make this trip such a memorable and successful experience. We simply could not have done it without you!

A heartfelt thank you to Ron Roth and Taylor Tours for planning and coordinating an outstanding trip from start to finish. Every detail was thoughtfully organized, allowing our students and staff to focus on making music, enjoying the experience, and creating lifelong memories. If you're a band or choir director looking to take your ensemble on an unforgettable trip, I highly recommend reaching out to Ron Roth and the team at Taylor Tours. Their professionalism, attention to detail, and commitment to student groups are second to none!

Thank you to Natalie DeSimone for your spectacular performance of Henry Fillmore's Lightning Fingers. Your artistry, energy, and virtuosity added an unforgettable highlight to our convention performance.

I also want to thank my mentor, Don Jenkins, for the honor of guest conducting our ensemble. Your friendship, guidance, and influence as my band director in elementary, junior high, and high school have shaped me as an educator and conductor, and it was incredibly meaningful to share this experience with you.

A special thank you goes out to Marc Richardson for producing such a fantastic recording of our performance. We are grateful to have this incredible memory preserved for years to come.

Most of all, thank you to our amazing Wind Ensemble students. You embraced every rehearsal, every challenge, and every opportunity with enthusiasm and excellence. You represented our school with class and integrity, and you truly knocked it out of the park on the national stage!

🎥 If you haven't had a chance to watch our performance yet, we invite you to check out the video recording! We are so proud of what these young musicians accomplished, and we hope you'll enjoy celebrating this incredible milestone with us.

00:00 Intro00:44 Arabian Dances03:52 Amazing Grace07:52 Squirrel...

06/26/2026

We have arrived in Cleveland and are already having a blast!!

06/24/2026

🎶🚓 TOMORROW IS THE DAY! 🚓🎶

The Oldham County Middle School Wind Ensemble will depart for Cleveland, Ohio, tomorrow as they travel to perform at the ASBDA National Convention!

We invite our community to help send these outstanding young musicians off in style by lining the streets of La Grange as our charter buses make their way through town at approximately 12:15 PM on Thursday, June 25.

Bring your signs, wear your OCMS gear, and help us celebrate the hard work, dedication, and achievement of these students as they represent our school, our district, and the Commonwealth of Kentucky on the national stage.

Thank you to our families, staff, administrators, and community members for the incredible support you have shown these students throughout their journey. We are proud of all they have accomplished and excited for this unforgettable opportunity.

Go OCMS Wind Ensemble! 🎶

06/23/2026

🎶 TONIGHT'S THE NIGHT! 🎶

Join us this evening for the OCMS Wind Ensemble's ASBDA National Convention Preview Concert as our outstanding young musicians present the program they will perform later this week at the American School Band Directors Association National Convention in Cleveland, Ohio.

📅 Tonight
🕖 7:00 PM
📍 Oldham County High School Auditorium
🎟️ FREE Admission

The concert is open to the public and will feature the full convention program, including a special performance with guest clarinet soloist Ms. Natalie DeSimone.

We hope you'll join us as we celebrate the hard work, dedication, and musical excellence of these students before they take the national stage. Your support means so much to our performers and helps make this experience even more memorable.

We look forward to seeing you tonight!
🎺🥁🎷🎶

06/19/2026

🎶🚓 COMMUNITY SEND-OFF FOR THE OCMS WIND ENSEMBLE! 🚓🎶

The Oldham County Middle School Wind Ensemble is preparing to embark on an incredible journey to Cleveland, Ohio, where we will represent our school, community, and the Commonwealth of Kentucky at the 2026 ASBDA National Convention!

As we depart for Cleveland on Thursday, June 25, the Oldham County Sheriff's Department will provide a special es**rt through the streets of La Grange. We expect to be rolling through downtown La Grange at approximately 12:15 PM, and we would love for our community to be part of this memorable moment.

We invite everyone to line the streets of La Grange, wave, cheer, and wish our students good luck as they begin this once-in-a-lifetime adventure. These outstanding young musicians have worked tirelessly in preparation for this prestigious performance, and your support means the world to them.

This is a wonderful opportunity for our community to celebrate the hard work, dedication, and achievement of these talented young musicians before they take the national stage.

Thank you for encouraging and supporting the arts in our community. We are honored to represent Oldham County on the national stage!

🎺🥁🎷 Go OCMS Wind Ensemble! 🎷🥁🎺

06/17/2026

🎶 You're Invited! 🎶

Join us for the Oldham County Middle School Wind Ensemble's ASBDA National Convention Preview Concert on Tuesday, June 23 at 7:00 PM in the Oldham County High School Auditorium.

This special performance will serve as the final public concert before the ensemble travels to Cleveland, Ohio, to represent our school, community, and state at the 2026 American School Band Directors Association (ASBDA) National Convention.

The evening will feature the complete program the Wind Ensemble will perform on the national stage and will showcase the hard work, dedication, and musical excellence of these outstanding young musicians. We are also thrilled to welcome our guest soloist, Ms. Natalie DeSimone, who will be joining the ensemble for a featured performance.

Admission is FREE and the concert is open to the public. We invite all family members, friends, alumni, educators, and community supporters to attend and help send our students off with a packed house as they prepare for this incredible opportunity.

📅 Tuesday, June 23
🕖 7:00 PM
📍 Oldham County High School Auditorium
🎟️ Free Admission

Come experience an evening of exceptional music and help us celebrate this historic opportunity for the OCMS Wind Ensemble. We hope to see you there as we prepare to take the national stage in Cleveland!

06/09/2026

Everything is coming together for the OCMS Wind Ensemble's upcoming performance at the ASBDA National Convention!

A huge thank you to Julie Heckman, owner of Manley Signs and Awards in La Grange, Kentucky, for printing our concert programs and posters. They look absolutely amazing and will help make this special event even more memorable for our students, families, and audience members.

We are incredibly grateful for the support of our local community as we prepare to represent Oldham County and middle school music education on the national stage. Thank you, Julie, for helping us showcase our program with such professionalism and excellence!

04/28/2026

Join us for our Annual Spring Concert on Wednesday, May 6, as we celebrate the hard work and talent of our student musicians!

🎶 6th Grade Band – 6:00 PM
🎶 7th Grade Band, Jazz Band, & Wind Ensemble – 7:30 PM

We are thrilled to welcome nationally acclaimed clarinet soloist Natalie DeSimone, who will be performing a featured solo with our Wind Ensemble.

Admission is $5 for adults. We would love to see our families, friends, and community there to support these outstanding students and enjoy an evening of great music!

04/01/2026

🎉 Congratulations to one of our own, Ben Bunting, winner of the 2025–26 University of Akron Concerto Competition! 🎶

The University of Akron School of Performing Arts Concerto Competition Finals was held on Thursday, February 5, 2026. This prestigious event features top student musicians competing for the chance to perform with the UA Symphony Orchestra or Wind Symphony.

Ben was one of just six finalists and performed Movement I, Allegro Moderato, from the Concerto for Tuba and Orchestra by John Williams—an incredible accomplishment!

Ben started playing music in the OCMS band in the 6th grade. He played trombone for 2 years and then switched over to tuba in 8th grade.
He then went to OCHS and spent 4 years in the OCHS Band under Mr. Brad Rogers. He graduated in 2020 and went to the University of Louisville on a School of Music Scholarship and graduated in 2024 with a BA in music performance , tuba emphasis. He is now a graduate teaching assistant at the University of Akron studying tuba performance.

Way to go, Ben!!