Band Director Commissions School Song Inspired by Formula 1 Racing
Michimich.com/10193107

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich., Sept. 15, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The band plays in unison as it marks its way through a staccato, ascending theme while their director guides them down a path, all the while envisioning the pinnacle of auto racing: Formula 1. The song is for Cross Creek Charter Academy, a school managed by National Heritage Academies (NHA) in Grand Rapids, Mich.

The piece titled "F-1" may not move as fast as the race cars, but the feel of the music portrays the sense of anticipation when played by the Cross Creek Charter Academy symphonic band, directed by David Steketee.

Commissioned by Steketee for the school's 25^th anniversary, the song begins with the entire band building anticipation for the coming percussion breaks. Trumpets and woodwinds then pair for climbing runs, preparing for the song's melody. It's a noble and celebratory piece of music that promotes feelings of pride and security -- themes held strongly by the school.

More on Michimich.com

• Revenue Optics Appoints Ljupco Icevski as Executive Advisor in Strategic Move to Accelerate Commercial Development
• Waarom brand mentions in ChatGPT steeds belangrijker worden
• Reozom Enters 2026 With Proven Traction, Over $1M in Seller Savings
• Yunishigawa Onsen's Annual "Kamakura Festival" will be held January 30 – March 1, 2026
• At Your Service Plumbing Named a 2025 Nextdoor Neighborhood Fave

Click HERE to watch the band play their school song.



"It's the 25^th anniversary, so I wanted to do something that's unique," Steketee said. "Commissions are done a lot but they're expensive, so it's not done often by any one school, so this is our one and only for a while."

Composer Randall Standridge was hired to write the piece to fit the instrumentation and ability levels of the seventh/eighth grade symphonic band. The band debuted the piece during a performance in May. The $3,000 cost for the composition was quickly covered with a fundraising effort by school supporters.

"I was excited, our whole administration was excited, the Cross Creek family was excited, it was great," Steketee said.

Band students experienced challenges during COVID-19, not being able to play as freely due to most instruments requiring breath to make sounds. Steketee said the song provides a lot of room for his students to play together, which helps with their comfort levels.

More on Michimich.com

• Custom Home Builder Connecticut Valley Homes Wins 2025 Home of the Year from the Modular Home Builders Association
• Scoop Social Co. Partners with Air Canada to Celebrate New Direct Flights to Milan with Custom Italian Piaggio Ape Gelato Carts
• Breakout Phase for Public Company: New Partnerships, Zero Debt, and $20 Million Growth Capital Position Company for 2026 Acceleration
• Japan's Patented "Hammock'n" Smartphone Band Targets Hand Fatigue From Long Phone Use
• Reditus Group Introduces A New Empirical Model for Early-Stage B2B Growth

"Anytime where they're playing by themselves, the kids don't like it so much," he said. "COVID has really brought our ability level down, so when the music is fast and full instrumentation, it's much better for their confidence."

Being able to direct students through the song proved to be a joy for Steketee and being part of something that will live on into Cross Creek's future adds to the director's sense of pride.

"I just wanted to do something cool and having our name on the masthead of that piece is pretty rad," he said. "It'll be there forever."

Cross Creek Charter Academy is a tuition-free, public charter school in Byron Center, Mich. serving students in Young 5s through eighth grade. It is part of the National Heritage Academies network, which includes 98 tuition-free, public charter schools serving more than 67,000 students in kindergarten through 12th grade across nine states. For more information, visit nhaschools.com.

SOURCE National Heritage Academies

---

Show All News | Report Violation