August 26, 2020

The Sting Machine is currently rehearsing at band camp for this season! Our show is I Love the 90s featuring the following songs:

Smells Like Teen Spirit by Nirvana

Creep by Radiohead

Beautiful Day by U2

April 02, 2019

New Uniforms have been approved!!! Monday February 11th, the UC Board of Trustees voted unanimously to purchase new marching band uniforms for the Sting Machine!

The Band Aide Club will pay a portion of the cost.

July 23, 2018

Band Camp Dates:

​

Leadership Camp July 18-20 8AM-11AM

Home Band Camp July 23-27 8AM-4PM

Away Band Camp @ Erskine July 29-Aug 3 

Home Band Camp Aug 6,7,9,10 6PM-10PM

​

Make sure you bring the following:

.5-1 Gallon Water Jug (NOT OPTIONAL)

Sunglasses

Sunscreen (at least 30SPF)

Hat

Lightweight clothing (light colors)

Good tennis shoes (they will get dirty)

Compression shorts (prevent chaffing)

Music

Pencils

Binder w/ page protectors

Instrument

GREAT ATTITUDE!

​

Remember to start hydrating now! Cut the sugary drinks and just drink water. Your body will thank you later. People who don't hydrate properly are miserable at camp. If you are unable get things on this list let us know!

March 29, 2018

On March 29th the Sims Middle School Honor Band traveled to Batesburg Leesville High School to perform at the South Carolina Concert Performance Assessment. This performance is the most important of the year and give our bands a chance to see how we compare to the other bands throughout the state. Bands can receive a rating of Superior, Excellent, Good, Fair, or Poor. Bands must prepare three pieces to perform for judges and then perform a piece of music they’ve never seen before which is called sight-reading. The SMS Honor Band received a perfect score in sight-reading! I’m pleased to announce that overall the SMS Honor Band received the highest rating of Superior and were only 1 point away from a perfect score. This places the Sims Honor Band among the top middle school band programs in the state! This is the highest score at the state assessment that Sims Middle School has ever received! The UCHS Wind Ensemble also traveled to Concert Performance Assessment on March 21st and received a rating of Excellent!

February 24, 2018

Every year thousands of students from around region three (Cherokee, Chester, Fairfield Kershaw, Lancaster, Newberry, Richland, Union, and York counties) audition for the SC Region 3 Honor Band. Very few are actually selected and many students never pass the cut. We are pleased to announce that seven students from Union county scored high enough on their audition to be placed in the SC Region 3 Honor Bands. From Sims Middle School: Caroline Baron, Jada Turner, Blain Estes, and Daniel Kurtz. From UCHS: Anna Rose Sawyer, Hunter Senn, and Adeshwa Smith. On February 23rd-24th these students attended the SC Region 3 Honor Band Clinic at Nation Ford High School and performed with other top students in our region. This is the most students to make region band from Union county in many years. These are some of the hardest working students in Union county and they represented Union well.

Pictured from left to right: Hunter Senn, Caroline Baron, Adeshwa Smith, Anna Rose Sawyer, Blain Estes, Jada Turner, and Daniel Kurtz

January 20, 2018

Congratulations to the following students for being selected for the SC Region 3 Honor Band!

​

Jada Turner*, Clarinet, SMS - Junior Symphonic Band

Caroline Baron, Clarinet, SMS - Junior Symphonic Band

Daniel Kurtz, Tuba, SMS - Junior Symphonic Band

Blain Estes, Tuba, SMS - Alternate Band

Anna Rose Sawyer*, Trumpet, UCHS - Clinic Band

Adeshwa Smith*, Tuba, UCHS - Clinic Band

Hunter Senn, Tuba, UCHS - Alternate Band

​

*Student recieved a high enough placement to qualify for AllState Band auditions on January 27th, 2018.

October 21, 2017

The Sting Machine traveled to Gaffney to compete in the Upper State 3A Marching band Championship and placed 9th out of 18 3A Bands.

October 14, 2017

The Sting took High Music, High Percussion, and 1st place in Class 2 at the Pride of Pendleton Marching Classic.

October 07, 2017

The Sting Machine earned 2nd place in Class 3 at the Brynes High School Competition.

September 30, 2017

The marching band scored 2nd place in class 3A. They brought home 1st in music in Class 3A as well as Best Overall Logistics Team, and Goofiest Band Director. The Sting Machine was 5th overall out of 24 bands!