Shanley Pounders (center) and other members of the RHS Percussion Ensemble, practice for the upcoming spring band concert on April 16 and the percussion concert on April 18.

During the fall, community members are able to visibly see the hard work the Russellville High School Marching Hundred puts in to their performances when they present their halftime show at each Friday’s football game.
The community will have an opportunity next week to see what the band members have been working on this spring when they present their annual spring concert at the RHS Auditorium on Tuesday, April 16, at 7 p.m.
And for the very first time, the newly formed RHS Percussion Ensemble will also host a special concert of their own called “Pots and Pans to Music Stands” on Thursday, April 18, at 7 p.m. at the RHS Auditorium.
Percussion instructor Scott Stephenson said both concerts would be great opportunities for the community to see all that the band members have been working on during their concert season.
“The students focus more on the instrumental side of things and on their technique during the spring semester,” Stephenson said.
“For the percussion ensemble, we will be utilizing a full range of instruments including marimbas, xylophones, bells – pretty much everything we have.”
Stephenson said the RHS Percussion Ensemble was formed this year as a way to highlight that particular section of the band and help them improve their skills both individually and as a group.
“As with the spring concert, the percussion concert is just a way to let this group of kids shine and to give them an outlet for branching out and further developing their talents,” he said.
“This is a great opportunity for them to learn and to push themselves but to also have fun.”
Stephenson is actually an alumnus of the RHS Marching Hundred and has been playing percussion since the sixth grade.
“Our band director, Gary McNutt, was actually my percussion instructor so it’s neat to be back here teaching these students in the same place where I was taught,” he said.
“I know what it’s like to work hard on something and want to show off what you’ve learned. All the band students have been working very hard on the spring concert and the percussion ensemble concert.
“These concerts will be very entertaining and I hope many people in the community will come out to support them.”
Both concerts will be presented free of charge with donations being collected that will go toward the scholarships the band program gives out to graduating seniors.