Three Lampeter-Strasburg High School instrumentalists received audition scores high enough to advance to this year's Pennsylvania Music Educators Association (PMEA) District 7 Band and Orchestra. Lancaster-Lebanon County Band and Orchestra festivals did not occur this year due to COVID-19, so students competed directly against their peers from Adams, Cumberland, Dauphin, Franklin, Lancaster, Lebanon, Perry, and York counties for their spots. Junior Jack Harnish, a bassist, and sophomore Laura Leaman, a cellist, earned spots in the District Orchestra. Senior Nick Smucker, a percussionist, earned entrance to the District Band and District Orchestra.

PMEA altered the audition process this year to allow students to participate during the pandemic safely.

In preparation for the audition, the students studied a professional level solo along with scales and rudiments for their instrument. In early December, they learned which excerpts would be required for the auditions and created videos of their performance for submission a few days before the virtual audition.

Judges scored the videos on Dec. 12 and published the results later that day. The District 7 Festival will combine chorus, orchestra, and band and will be held virtually at a date to be determined. All interested choral, orchestra, and band students can sit in for the festival.

Because there will be no regional festival this year, all selected instrumentalists are eligible to audition for the PMEA All-State Festival on Wednesday to Saturday, April 14 to 17. The All-State Ensembles will rehearse live via Zoom and present a virtual performance.