When the Park band held its concert at the middle school Feb. 13, they pushed hard to persuade middle schoolers to either start band or continue participating in band in high school, according to band teacher Hannah Pagel.

Freshman Morganna Oberdorfer said she wants middle schoolers to continue band because music is impactful.

“Music helps with your thinking and helps with stress. (This also allows you to) learn a different way to think which is good,” Oberdorfer said.

Pagel said band members also visited the middle school to encourage more students of color to join band to have diversity in music program.

“We live in such a diverse society today that if we don’t see diversity in all of the programs we see we are not really showing what our society is. Especially in SLP, we are surrounded by so many suburbs,” Pagel said. “We have Minneapolis next door and we are not showing that we are diverse and not showing that we are welcoming of all races.”

Oberdorfer said diversity is essential in band because it helps showcase students’ different talents.

“It’s really important. Different people have different talents. No one is going to know people’s talents if they don’t join the band and people aren’t going to join the band if they don’t see people like themselves in the band,” Oberdorfer said. “It’s important that the band is diverse so we can bring people from everywhere to show their talent.”