On Tuesday, May 16, the Martin Meylin Middle School and Lampeter-Strasburg High School's jazz bands will perform a free concert at Strasburg Community Park, 151 Precision Ave., Strasburg. Although the jazz bands' concerts are typically held in the high school performing arts center, the school district moved the show to the park in the spring of 2021 as an added safety measure following the coronavirus pandemic. The new setting was well received by the community, prompting the school district to continue holding the concert at the park in the years since.

The concert will include performances from three separate jazz bands in the Lampeter-Strasburg School District. The middle school jazz band, comprising seventh- and eighth-grade musicians, will begin the show. After the middle school band performs, the Blue Band and the White Band will play. To perform with the Blue Band, students at Lampeter-Strasburg High School audition and follow a more rigorous practice schedule to master advanced pieces of music. The White Band accepts all musicians from the school who wish to perform. While the middle school jazz band rehearses during the school day once a week, the Blue Band and the White Band convene after school to practice.

When selecting the music for the show, jazz band director Larry Royer tries to find pieces that will best suit the musicians in the program. For example, this year Royer decided to apply the talents of one of his senior trumpet players by incorporating a flugelhorn solo for her. Royer also included a feature for one of the band's advanced guitar players. As the bands' director, Royer added that he likes to include a variety of different styles for his students to perform during concerts, such as big band swing, bebop jazz and rock.

"I always think it's fun to see which songs the students grow to love the most, even if they haven't heard them before," Royer said. "They might not like some of the songs when they play it for the first time, but it ends up becoming a favorite. I try to pick good music, not necessarily just popular songs."

The jazz band program in Lampeter-Strasburg School District has grown significantly over the years. When Royer first became a teacher at the high school 20 years ago, there was only one jazz band. Royer added that the program is driven by the students' fondness for it and that jazz band has become increasingly popular with young musicians. Jazz band also provides an opportunity for seasoned musicians to step outside of their comfort zones and try new styles and instruments. In this year's show, seven clarinet players will perform on saxophones, and one of the jazz band's French horn players will play the trumpet. "The kids get excited about trying something new," Royer said. "It's a great outlet to perform and learn."