Manta Ray Band conductor and music director William DeWitt told Variety yesterday that the band members are looking forward to a great week of competitions and workshops during the 7th annual Tumon Bay Music Festival set for March 4-13.
DeWitt said over 30 participants from the Pacific Winds Community Concert band will also be competing on Guam for the first time.
“I think Saipan is going to do very well this year in competition, not only for the Manta Ray Band for also for Koblerville Elementary School’s Glee Club under its director Karen Alla and violin and piano students from DoReMi Music School,” DeWitt said.
The 40-member Manta Ray Concert Band won silver in the prestigious New York International Music Festival at the Carnegie Hall in April last year.
Some of the members of the Manta Ray Band have performed at the Sydney Opera House in Australia and with the Official Youth Orchestra of the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing.
In 2009, the Manta Ray Band won two golds in the Tumon Music Festival for solo performance in rock and jazz categories. Manta Ray Band was adjudged champion in the first annual Tumon Bay Music Festival in 2008.
