Jeff Clamp,
Band Director
Phone: 803-422-2269 (cell)
Email Jeff Clamp

The 2023-2024 Ridge Spring-Monetta Band had a historical year which culminated in the band earning the Outstanding Performance Award.  The OPA is the highest honor given by the South Carolina Band Directors Association as it requires a high level of achievement in Marching Band, All-State / Region Band, Concert Band, and Solo and Ensemble / Jazz Band.  To receive the award a band must earn a minimum of 90 points out of 100 throughout the school year (RS-M earned 97 out of 100 points).  This year the marching band received an Excellent rating at state marching band championships, RS-M had a school record 9 students make the all-region band, the concert band received the school’s FIRST-EVER Superior rating at state concert performance assessment, and RS-M band students earned 11 total Superior ratings at the Solo and Ensemble Festival.  What makes earning this award even more special is that very few Class A schools receive the Outstanding Performance Award, and RS-M is one of the smallest (possibly the smallest) schools to ever earn the OPA. 

RS-M Band Students Excel at Solo and Ensemble Festival

Friday, April 19th the RS-M Band participated in the SCBDA Solo and Ensemble Festival at Aiken High School.  27 students participated in 21 total events which included solo performances as well as duets, trios, quartets, and large ensembles with seven to nine performers.  Our students earned a total of 11 Superior ratings and 9 Excellent ratings.  Soloists receiving a Superior Rating were Landon Hastings, Paetyn Colwell, DJ Maltese, Ben Burger, Dane Edwards, Nathaly Segura, and Marcos Segura.  Members of TWO ensembles receiving a Superior rating were: Landon Hastings, Ben Moyer and DJ Maltese.  Natalie Maltese, Bennie Padgett, Ailyn Perales, Chris Story, Quamaine Allen, Christian Smith, Maryann Sterling, Stella Edwards, Alex Cochran, Paetyn Colwell, Jayden Ibarra, Isaac Shockney, Ben Burger, Dane Edwards, and Gavin Fulmer were members of one ensemble that received a Superior rating.  Bennie Padgett received an Excellent rating on both of his solos and Paetyn Colwell, Isaac Shockney and Malachi Hawkins each earned an Excellent rating on a solo.  Chris Story, Jayden Ibarra, Brooke Blume and Nathaly Segura were members of TWO ensembles earning an Excellent rating.  Members of one ensemble receiving an Excellent rating were:  Natalie Maltese, Jamari Bettis, Dane Edwards, Gavin Fulmer, Caleb Rojas, Ta'Liyah Lott, Morgan Stephens, and Nigeria Williams.  Congratulations to these students for their outstanding performances!

Kyla and Bennie after the CU vs. UNC game November 18, 2023

On Saturday, November 18th Kyla and Bennie Padgett performed together one last time at the Clemson University vs. University of North Carolina football game.  Kyla is a former RS-M Band student who is now in her second year as a member of the Tiger Band.  Bennie is a senior band member at RS-M and was one of 75 students from across the nation who was selected to participate in the Clemson Marching Band Senior Day.  Bennie traveled to Clemson for an early morning rehearsal with the Tiger Band (also known as the Band That Shakes the Southland).  They performed a pre-game concert in the amphitheater before going to the stadium for the football game, where Bennie played in the stands with the college band.  Bennie is hoping to go into the military next year, so this was possibly the last time he and his sister will perform together.

On Saturday, November 4th Newberry College hosted their annual "Join the Band Day".  This is an event where high school students (grades 10 - 12) are invited to practice and perform with the Newberry College Scarlet Spirit Marching Band.  The students began rehearsals at 8:00 a.m. and performed in the stands and at halftime of the football game between Newberry College and Wingate.  RS-M was represented by ten students this year.  Students participating were:  Natalie Maltese (Clarinet), Aubrianna Wise and Jose Hernandez (Alto Sax), Landon Hastings and Christian Smith (Trumpet), Bennie Padgett and James Smith (Baritone), Erica Ferrer (Sousaphone), Quamaine Allen (Quints), and Maryann Sterling (Color Guard).  Drum Major Ailyn Perales also attended the game to observe since she is planning to attend Newberry College next year and participate in the marching band.  Also in the picture below wearing their Newberry College uniforms are RS-M marching band alumni Makayla Lee and Joanna Kaiser.

We would like to thank our 2023 Marching Band Seniors for all of their hard work and dedication.  There is a bio for each senior further down the page.  Drum Major and Baritone Player Bennie Padgett, Drum Major and Mallet Player Ailyn Perales, Clarinet and Mallet Player Natalie Maltese, Bari Sax Player Chris Story, Trumpet Player Landon Hastings, Keyboard Player Ward Burger, and Guard Member Bridget Rhodes made up one of the largest Senior classes the RS-M Marching Band has ever had.  We love you all so much, and we will truly miss you.  

The RS-M True Blue Marching Band completed another historic season on Saturday, October 28th at the Class A State Championships in Blythewood.  The band finished 7th in the state and that, combined with last year's 6th place finish means the band finished in the top ten in back to back years for the first time in school history!  In fact, RS-M had finished in the top ten only twice before last season.  Also, the True Blue Band had the 3rd highest music score in the state and was less than a point away from a top-five finish.  The band would like to thank all of the parents, family members, and RS-M faculty and staff who came out to watch their outstanding performance at State Finals.  It meant a lot to see you all out their supporting our kids.  

On Saturday, October 21st the RS-M True Blue Marching Band finished as the Lower State Champion Runners-Up.  This ties the school-record 2nd Place finish by the 2022 marching band.  The final competition of the season is this coming Saturday at the Class A State Championships at Blythewood High School.  The competition begins at 10:30 a.m. and RS-M performs at 2:00 p.m.  Awards will be at 3:15 p.m.  Congratulations to all of the marching band students for their outstanding performance at Lower-State!

Congratulations to the RS-M Marching Band for a successful run during fall break.  The competition season began at the Mustang Classic on Saturday, September 30th at Midland Valley High School.  The True Blue band earned 1st Place in Class A (defeating 3-A school Brookland-Cayce and 2-A school Fox Creek).  RS-M also earned the awards for Highest Music Score and Highest Overall Effect Score in Class A.  On Saturday, October 7th, the True Blue Band traveled to St. James High School in Murrels Inlet for the Fin-Fest Tournament of Bands.  RS-M was up against larger schools from Class 3-A, 4-A and 5-A and the True Blue still earned the award for 2nd Place Color Guard and also finished ahead of two 3-A schools and a 4-A school.  On October 14th, the marching band traveled to Silver Bluff High School for the Silver Spirit Invitational.  RS-M swept all of the awards for Class A, including 1st Place Class A, High Music Score Class A, High Visual Score Class A, and High Overall Effect Score Class A.  The True Blue Band also scored higher than a couple of 3-A and 4-A schools.  The Class A Lower-State Championships will be at Westwood High School on Saturday, October 21st, and the season will conclude on Saturday, October 28th, at the Class A State Championships at Blythewood High School.  To see videos from the marching band competitions (when available) click on the link to the 2023 Competition Videos on the left side of this page.

The next meeting of the RS-M Band Booster Club will be on Thursday, November 2nd in the band room.  We will take up any fruit money that has been collected up to that point.  It is also the final day to pay for fruit with checks.  After November 2nd only cash or money order will be accepted.

On Saturday, September 9th almost half of the RS-M True Blue Marching Band joined hundreds of other high school band members to perform with the University of South Carolina "Mighty Sound of the Southeast" at halftime of the game against Furman.  The students all gathered at the Steve Spurrier practice facility to rehearse with the USC Band.  After a few hours of rehearsal the students were fed a Chick-Fil-A meal and then headed to Williams-Brice Stadium.  At halftime the students performed in front of about 80,000 fans.  RS-M was represented by Seniors Natalie Maltese (Clarinet), Chris Story (Bari Sax), Landon Hastings (Trumpet), Bennie Padgett (Baritone), and Bridget Rhodes (Colorguard).  Junior band members included Aubrianna Wise (Alto Sax), Christian Smith (Trumpet), James Smith (Baritone), Quamaine Allen (Percussion), Emma Fulmer (Colorguard) and Maryann Sterling (Colorguard).  Sophomores representing the True Blue Band were Jose Hernandez (Alto Sax), Stella Edwards (Mellophone) and Erica Ferrer (Sousaphone).  You can watch the performance by clicking on this link (high school students join about 2:30 into the performance):  2023 USC BAND DAY

Front Row Left to Right:  Makayla Wise, Jayden Ibarra, Nathaly Segura, Gavin Fulmer, Landon Hastings, Bennie Padgett, Ailyn Perales, Landon Hastings, Ben Burger, Stella Edwards, James Smith, Karla Valencia

Second Row Left to Right:  Bridget Rhodes, Jeff Clamp (Director), Aubrianna Wise, Isaac Shockney, Ward Burger, DJ Maltese, Quamaine Allen, Addaym Lincoln, Jamari Bettis, Malachi Hawkins, Jose Hernandez, Steve Miller (Assistant Director), Emma Fulmer

Third Row Left to Right:  Maryann Sterling, Elvis Cianni, Natalie Maltese, Paetyn Colwell, Erica Ferrer, Chris Story, Emily Shockney, Laura Blume, Dane Edwards, Alya Dowling

Missing from Picture:  Ashley Pearson, Matthew Stone (Guard Instructor)

2023 Seniors (Left to Right):  Bridget Rhodes, Ward Burger, Chris Story, Bennie Padgett, Ailyn Perales, Landon Hastings, Natalie Maltese

If you are a former RS-M Band member and would like to be recognized on this website, please contact Mr. Clamp with information (and a picture would be great). 

Send any information like your college / career info, family info, etc.  We would love to hear from you.  

Kyla Padgett is a 2022 graduate of Ridge Spring-Monetta High School and is currently a student at Clemson University.  During her time at RS-M she participated in the marching, concert, and jazz bands and was a member of numerous academic honors groups.  As a member of the band program Kyla was selected for and participated in many honor band clinics, including the University of South Carolina, Newberry College, Limestone University, and Claflin University honor bands.  She also was selected on several occasions for the Aiken All-County Band, the SCBDA All-Region 2 Honor Band, and was the first student (along with her brother Bennie) from RS-M to ever participate in the Aiken All-County Orchestra.  Kyla also participated in the Solo and Ensemble Festival, earning all Superior and Excellent ratings over the years.  In the marching band she held the positions of Section Leader, Band Captain, and was Drum Major her senior year.  Kyla is majoring in Biochemistry and her career goal is to be an orthodontist.  Kyla is pictured in her Clemson University Marching Band uniform.

Tyler Rowe is a 2018 graduate of Ridge Spring-Monetta High School and is currently a student at Limestone University.  During his time at RS-M Tyler participated in the marching, concert, and jazz bands and he also played for the baseball team.  Tyler was selcted for several different honor bands while in high school, he performed at the Solo and Ensemble festival, and he was band captain and drum major for the marching band.  At Limestone Tyler is working toward becoming an athletic trainer and he participates in the Limestone University band program.  Tyler is pictured with Mr. Clamp at the Limestone football game on November 13th, 2021 and November 5th, 2022.