For the past three years, the Straughn High School String Band and Quartet has placed first in their Future Farmers of America District Competitions, but sponsor Taylor Weeks said that he doesn’t want to finish there.

“I am ridiculously proud of them for that accomplishment,” Weeks said. “But we still have to win that state title.”

Weeks said that the main thing that he has been pushing to get the band to where they are is dedication.

“I really encourage them to be involved in a lot,” Weeks said. “For example, we had a guy playing sports, and that is great. You can be dedicated to more than one thing. The main thing is putting in the time and dedication into what you are doing no matter how many things you’re involved in. Another thing that I push really hard is practicing at home.”

The String Band has its annual spring performance tonight and Weeks made some changes because of weather problems last year.

“It was usually called the Back Porch Bash,” Weeks said. “But last year we just got stormed on and we were rushed to bring it in the gym and it didn’t feel the same. So this year we are going to have it in the gym to start with and we changed the name to our spring concert.”

Weeks said that the entirety of the show is to make the students feel like rock stars.

“We are going to have the Bethany Baptist Church Praise Band open up for the students,” Weeks said. “Then after that we will have a short little break and then the String Band will come out and play some of their competition stuff. People will be able to hear the competition stuff that we do with the quartet and the band and people will be able to hear a couple of other songs that we will perform. I really want it to be like a real concert for the kids and make them feel like real rock stars. We are going to turn the lights out and have colored lights on them and just make them feel good.”

The spring concert is the only fundraiser the string band has, and all proceeds go to equipment for the group.

“We play a couple shows here and there and get paid for it,” Weeks said. “But this is really our biggest fundraiser. A lot of the money goes to new equipment and it goes to the travel expenses for the state competition.”

Overall, Weeks said the group has had a great year, and he’s already looking forward to next year.

“We only have five seniors leaving out of 14 people in the band,” Weeks said. “So that just shows you how much experience we have. I am really looking forward to working with all of the young fresh talent that we are going to get.”

The spring concert is tonight, Friday, May 10, from 6 p.m., until 9 p.m., at the Straughn High School gym. There will be concessions available including hot dogs, barbeque, cookies and homemade ice cream. The entry fee is $2.