SPHS Bands Colaboration Concert

March 3-5 Sun Prairie East & West Band students will welcome several guest artists to our high schools to make music and collaborate in a performance. The week will feature:

Jennifer Jolley - composer

Embree Way - composer

Ben Jaeckel - composer

Paisley - author

River - author

Rehearsal Collaborations

Tuesday, March 3: 9:00-10:00 at West and 10:45-3:30 at East

Wednesday, March 4: 9:00-10:00 at West and 10:45-3:30 at East

Performance Collaboration

Thursday, March 5 at 7:30 p.m. in the SP East Performing Arts Center

This promises to be an inspiring evening celebrating Paisley, River, creativity, collaboration, and the extraordinary dedication of our student musicians. We hope you will join us to support their hard work and experience this meaningful and exciting evening of student music together.

This exciting opportunity is made possible with the generous support of the Bernie Powers Band Foundation and the Sun Prairie Band Boosters.

Jennifer Jolley is a composer, conductor, and professor person. She is also a cat lover and part-time creative opera producer.

Jennifer deeply values the relationship between composers and the communities in which they collaborate. She has been composer-in-residence at multiple institutions and promotes composer advocacy through her articles for NewMusicBox & I CARE IF YOU LISTEN. Also, she is on the Executive Council of the Institute for Composer Diversity and the New Music USA Program Council.

Dr. Jolley is an award-winning and trailblazing composer. She has received national recognition for her imaginative orchestration and emotional depth. During her residency, our students will have the opportunity to learn from, rehearse with, and perform with a living composer.

The concert will also feature the world premieres of two brand-new works created through the inspiring Sing Me a Story initiative. Sing Me a Story is a nonprofit organization that connects composers with children facing significant life challenges.

Original stories are transformed into fully realized musical compositions, giving voice to young children and building empathy and connection through the arts. The East & West concert bands have teamed with composers Embree Way and Ben Jaeckel to bring life to Paisley's and River's stories. These premieres represent not only great music, but also compassion and community impact.

Paisley is a joyful and imaginative young storyteller who lives with a complex list of medical diagnoses, including Eosinophilic Esophagitis, also known as EoE. She receives regular biologic injections as part of her treatment. Her parents describe these injections as life-saving care that allows her to continue to thrive. Through every challenge, Paisley and her family show tremendous strength.

When invited to write about anything she wished, Paisley created The Milo and Paisley Adventure, a magical tale starring herself and her beloved cat, Milo. Together, they build a flame-shooting monster truck and set off on an unforgettable journey. They visit restaurants, travel all the way to Florida for beach fun, and even befriend friendly sharks along the way. In Paisley’s world, those sharks become such good friends that they eventually move into her house so everyone can ride them happily ever after.

Paisley’s story is filled with freedom, friendship, adventure, and pure joy. It reflects a child’s remarkable ability to imagine a world without limits, where bravery looks like monster trucks, friendship includes sharks, and every journey ends with happiness.

Composer Embree Way brought Paisley’s vibrant imagination to life through the piece The Adventures of Paisley and Milo, capturing the excitement, humor, and heart of her story in music.

River was born with a limb anomaly which means her hand formed differently before she was born, and she has one finger on her left hand. We were connected with River through the Miracle League of Dane County, a community that supports children of all abilities and celebrates inclusion.

When invited to write about anything she wished, River created Limbitless, a powerful and personal story about learning to love what makes her different. In her book, River shares what it feels like to grow up with a limb difference. She writes about sometimes wanting to fit in, sometimes feeling alone at school, and answering questions again and again about her hand. She also shares the joy of meeting other limb different friends, including someone she looks up to who showed her what is possible.

River’s story is filled with vivid and meaningful moments. She describes learning to do things her own way and discovering that there is a solution to every problem. She writes about bringing the limb loss and limb difference community together through Limbitless Wisconsin. She encourages others not to stare, but instead to ask someone’s name and find what they have in common. At the heart of her message is a powerful truth: we are all already different, and that is something to celebrate.

River’s story is one of courage, confidence, belonging, and pride. It reminds us that being different is not something to fix. It is something that makes each of us unique. As River says, a river always finds its way and forges its own path, and she will do the same.

Composer Ben Jaeckel brought River’s inspiring message to life through the piece Limbitless, capturing her strength, optimism, and determination in music.

Embree Way is a student at the University of Kentucky, where he is a music education major. He is a member of the percussion studio, Band, Orchestra and the Wildcat Marching Band. He is an alumnus of Sun Prairie East High School. He is also a cat enthusiast!

Ben Jaeckel is a passionate high school student attending River Falls High School in River Falls, WI, where he discovers joy and fulfillment through composing music in his spare time. Despite his young age, Ben has cultivated a growing collection of original compositions that reflect his evolving musical interests and personal expression.