Three CCS band students perform with Best of the West honor band

  The Best of the West honor band and choir is hosted each year by the music director, Kristin Simpson, at North Platte Community College. The band director this year was Jennifer Winder. The annual event took place last Monday. Agnes Strand, Director of Bands for Chase County Schools, said she had about a dozen band students audition for BOTW and the three students who qualified to go are pictured from left; sophomore Chloe Dittler on French horn, freshman Alexa Alarcon on trumpet and senior Brendan Pump on alto sax. Strand said she and the three students left that morning at 5:30 a.m. to get there on time for the warmup and first rehearsal in preparation for the concert at 6 p.m. CST that evening. She also wanted to mention that Pump recently returned from his European tour with the Nebraska Ambassadors of Music 2023.