On Saturday, May 15, the Pleasant Valley Intermediate School 7th grade band competed in their first ever adjudication at Southern Lehigh School District.

The band received a silver medal for excellence in performance and a third place performance trophy in the middle school concert band category.They played for experienced and critical musician/judges and were rated on nationally recognized standards of performance."I'm very proud of them considering they were competing against older and longer playing students. There is no intermediate level so they were competing against middle school level," said their band director, Evan Reese.Douglas Stangl, a 7th grade student, plays the baritone horn and he received one of two Outstanding Soloist awards given."I was kind of surprised. They only give out two awards and I got one. It made me very happy and I'm proud of myself," says Stangl, 13.He has been taking music lessons for the last four years. He started playing the trumpet but switched over to the baritone in fifth grade. He also plays the guitar and loves to sing. He plans to audition for "American Idol" when he turns 16. He knows no matter what he does in life, music will always be his passion.Stangl is the son of Andrea and Larry Kennedy of Effort.The community had an opportunity to hear the band at the Spring Concert which featured the chorus and band on May 18 at PVI.The 7th grade chorus sang several selections. Featured soloists were Sammie Bartholomew, Zoe Bartolacci, Courtney Delistovich, Alyssa Ramesy, Kacey Burrus, Samantha Edwards, Regan Welkey, Doug Stangl, Hayley Blanding and Rachel Martello.The 7th grade band played several pieces and selections featured Oliva Karaman, flute, Angelina Carbone, piano, Nicole Bernard, oboe, Sophia Betancourt, oboe, Douglas Stangl, baritone horn, Madison Olexson, flute, Theodore Graham, tuba as soloists.The combined band and chorus finale featured "Our America" by Higgins.