B.A.M.A., Bay Area Music Association, is an honors band program that takes place once a year at a nearby high school in the Bay Area. Students are selected by their band teacher after applying through school. When the time comes, students have one day to practice as an ensemble. This is their first time practicing with those from other schools, and they only have until the end of the day before performing for an audience. 

This year, students Kylee Duessler, Kapri Gill, Ezra Linnan, and Caleb Johnson (pictured above, respectively) traveled to Denmark High School and performed four songs with varying musical styles. They were also given the opportunity to work with an accomplished, professional conductor with worldly experience. 

“I feel like it’s really beneficial and improved my skills,” senior Kapri Gill said, who plays bass clarinet.

Tanya Hasenjager has been the band director at Sevastopol for over ten years and says she believes B.A.M.A. allows students a great opportunity to perform with an entire ensemble.

“B.A.M.A. is a great experience for our students because of our school’s size. It’s electric, awe-inspiring, and magical,” Hasenjager said.

Junior Ezra Linnan believes it’s an eye-opening opportunity to come from a small school and work with a group as dynamic as B.A.M.A.

“The connections that I was able to make with other percussionists and the conductor were really meaningful in my experience as a musician,” Linnan said.