Manta Ray Band wins 2 golds in Tumon music fest

Saipan Southern High School’s Manta Ray Band has so far bagged two gold medals in the weeklong Tumon Bay Music Festival ongoing in Guam.

The good news was relayed yesterday to Lois DeWitt by her husband Will, who is the band’s conductor and music director.

The Manta Ray Band entered three official bets to the festival: solo, rock and jazz, and concert band.

Will DeWitt said the Manta Ray Band competed in the solo and rock and jazz categories Monday night and managed to win gold medals in both. The Saipan Southern High students bested performers from other regions and majority of schools in Guam.

Winning teams are invited to take part in a special demonstration on the final night of the competition, known as the command performance, where all gold medalists are asked to perform.

A total of five Saipan Southern High students were named to the command performance: one for the solo and four members of the rock band. The students’ names were not immediately available at press time as they are in Guam for the weeklong competition and clinic with musical experts and guests.

The competition started Monday and will last until March 16.

Lois DeWitt, a teacher at Koblerville Elementary School, told Saipan Tribune yesterday that the 44-member band is keeping a busy schedule during the competition.

One more group, the concert band, is slated to compete on Sunday to defend their title.

Manta Band was adjudged champion in the first annual Tumon Bay Festival last year.

“They are all excited!” Lois DeWitt said, quoting her husband whom she talked with over the phone.

It was disclosed to her that a member of the rock band, the drummer, was slightly injured before the competition but managed to give his best during the performance.

“They are amazing. That’s what he tells me about the kids,” Lois DeWitt said.

She is scheduled to fly to Guam on Thursday to support her husband and the students.

“We’re confident that we will make it again,” she said, on the chances of Manta Band members winning the title again.

The Manta Ray Band, mostly composed of sophomores and juniors, will perform “more difficult” pieces of music that are expected to wow the crowd from various schools in the Pacific region and Guam.

The band was given the opportunity to perform at the Olympics in Beijing last year.

This year marks the second year of the Tumon Bay Music Festival.