Wayne State College hosted the annual Festival of Honor Bands Saturday, Jan. 29 in the Rice Auditorium. Two bands performed several songs during a concert with a $5 admission fee that was open to the public.

The Festival of Honor Bands takes place on the last Saturday of January each year and is made up of high school and junior high students performing in two honor bands. These bands consist of students from Nebraska, Iowa and South Dakota who spend a full day rehearsing for an afternoon concert.

This event is usually hosted in the Peterson Fine Arts building’s Ramsey Theatre, but the hall is currently being renovated. The music department’s personnel moved equipment from Peterson to Rice the night before.

Jeff Peabody directed the junior high band. He has been the director of bands at Columbus High School for 15 years and has served as a guest conductor at several other honor bands events.

“It is such an honor, and I’m so humbled to just have been asked to come and direct these students,” Jeff said at the event. “These kids came from so many different schools to come together and then to share this time with each other.”

Josh Calkin, the director of bands and associate professor of music at WSC, directed the high school band.

“Obviously, it’s been problematic over the past couple of years to take students from various schools and put them together in one room,” Josh said. “Luckily, we were able to do it. I know I have been looking forward to this moment for literally two years.”

While it’s usually parents and friends that watch this event, students were encouraged to attend the event.

Ragan Rodriquez, a freshman at WSC, went to the concert with a friend.

“The concert was actually really fun,” Rodriquez said. “It was cool hearing the difference between the two bands and seeing what they know.”

The next music event will be the Honor Choir Festival on Friday, Feb. 14 at 4:30 p.m. in Ley Theatre.