Tyrone High School Junior Derek Wilson will participate in the sixth annual St. Francis University Side by Side Event on February 11th, 2017.

At the side-by side, high school band students get the opportunity to learn from and play along side members of the St. Francis Red Flash Band at a home basketball game. This year the Red Flash will take on their Northeast conference rival the Mount St. Mary’s Mountaineers in a men’s and women’s basketball double header at the Maurice Stokes Athletic Center on the St. Francis University campus. The men will take the floor at 1:00pm while the women’s game will start at 4:00pm.

“It is an amazing experience for students that are planning to go to a college with a music program and it is also fun experience to watch a division 1 basketball game at St. Francis University. For students who are thinking of doing the event should sign up,” said junior Derek Wilson.

The event attracts high school band musicians from across the state.

Students at the side by side must learn the same sheet music that the SFU pep band plays at every home game. Some of the songs are well known such as Seven Nation Army, YMCA, and the Hey Song. Students will also recieve the SFU Fight Song, SFU Alma Mater, and an arraignment of the Star Spangled Banner written by the St. Francis University Director of Bands Dan Atwood.

Each student receives a free t-shirt that every band member wears in the stands and a packet of the stand tunes that the students will play during the games.

The students will rehearse with the pep band before entering the arena to run through the music (see video of last year’s rehearsal on this page). Students will perform throughout both games. The students will also be recognized in the gym before the men’s game.

The registration deadline for the SFU Side by Side will be on January 27th, 2017. Any students interested should sign up by clicking this link.