• Five Groton band members have been selected for the 63rd annual South Dakota High School All State Band.  They are Kelsey Wieseler, clarinet; Ashley Larson, bass clarinet; Alec Oleson, Clarinet; Dakota Gonzales, clarinet; and Rachel Blackmun, Bass Clarinet.  Kelsey and Ashley have the great honor of being selected each of the four years they have been eligible!  Alec is now a two-time member, while Dakota and Rachel have been selected for the first time.
• The All State Bands are comprised of the best high school band students in South Dakota, selected through an annual statewide audition.  Groton continues to have representation in the band year after year, evidence of the talented students in our school as well as the strength of the instrumental music program currently in place.
• This year the event will take place at the Rushmore Plaza Civic Center Theatre in Rapid City, beginning with evening rehearsals on Thursday, March 21st.  The bands will rehearse all day Friday as well as much of the day Saturday, and will conclude the event with the Grand Concert at 7:30 on Saturday. 
• Guest conductors for this year are Erica Neidlinger from DePaul University in Chicago, IL, and Jan Van der Roost, a world-renowned composer and director from Albrecht-Rodenbachlaan, Belgium.