2019 in Arts & Entertainment

As 2019 comes to a close, the successes of Pleasant Valley’s Art and Entertainment programs makes this year one to remember.

PV started the new year off with a bang. In early January, news of senior Annie Warner’s selection into the Quad City Symphony Orchestra Youth Ensemble’s Concerto made the PV community proud. After all, this competition was no easy feat. 

With snow days leading to many cancelations for the rest of the month, February brought new hope as District Choral Festival arrived. Even the snow could not stop the amazing music produced at this joyous event. 

The PV Music Departments powered through the relentless snow to give incredible performances at the SEISTA Honor Orchestra performance, Elementary Choir tour and Winter Band Concert. The Leading Tones ended their season with an outstanding performance at the Iowa Vocal Jazz Championships and PV celebrated its fourth student to ever be accepted into the Iowa All-State Jazz Band, Jackson Schou.

As winter finally came to a close, the PVHS Art Department welcomed April with six students receiving scholarships and awards from the Figge Art Museum and Quad City Arts High School Art invitational. These students’ dedication to art brought PV immense pride. 

840 students shared their love of music at the District Band Concert at the Taxslayer center. Hearing the entire Spartan Band come together to play “America the Beautiful” gave the audience a wave of emotions and felicitations for the band program.

With the end of the school year quickly approaching, May brought performances from the choir, band, and orchestra at the State Large Group Festival. The PVHS Choirs received four Division I and two Division II ratings, Full Orchestra received Superior Division I rating, and the Bands received two Division I and two Division II ratings. All in all, these groups gave their total effort.

Late spring was also the time for 2019 seniors to graduate. The PV choirs and band honored the graduating seniors on May 22 at the Taxslayer Center. Before the graduates marched out to their futures, seniors from the choir joined their fellow classmates one last time for a beautiful rendition of “The Rainbow Connection”.

Summer came and went and soon, band students were back to join forces for a week long Marching Band Camp and the annual Six Flags Band trip in August. The Spartan Band Leadership committee worked tirelessly to help prepare incoming freshman and returners for the new marching band season. They ended the week with a well deserved trip to Six Flags.

As the 2019-2020 school year commenced, the PV Drama Department welcomed their first show of the season, Helium, in September. Directed by senior Anna Myatt, this show aimed to raise awareness for dementia and provide the audience with a new sense of appreciation for their elders. October was also a big month, as they had their annual Improv Night and their fall musical, Carrie the Musical. Leads Anna Myatt and Amy Oberheart gave a riveting performance about the negatives effects of bullying had on a girl with psychokinesis. Opening on Halloween night, this show was not one to forget!

The fall season came to an end with Senior Night for the band and Platinum Dance team. Seniors took to the field for the last time, performing their favorites: ‘Pirates of the Caribbean’, ‘Take On Me’, and ‘Thanks for the Memories’. Platinum Dance Team seniors also enjoyed their final dance on the field with teammates and in celebration of the end of their football season. The band ended their night with the beloved Band Bash with lots of music, pizza and of course dancing.

November arrived with the anticipation of the Iowa All-State Music Festival. Students had been preparing for this event since summer and auditions followed in October. The 2019 All-State auditions had and amazing turn out for PV with 22 students accepted from choir, six from the orchestra, and 11 from the band (the most in PV history). All 39 musicians made the journey to Aimes on November 27 and had a truly amazing performance. PV pride grew even higher for those talented students.

The Platinum Dance Team ended the year on a high note after competing at the Iowa State Dance Team Association competition on December 6th. The team’s incredible performance of their Pom and Jazz routines landed them two state titles. They could not have been more thrilled to be double state champs and grateful for the opportunity to have worked with such hardworking and dedicated dancers.

As we say goodbye to 2019, we are excited to see what 2020 has in store for these outstanding Pleasant Valley students, in the world of arts and entertainment.