 Although funding has been cut to music programs across the state, the Johnson County Middle School Band is proving their worth as they received superior marks at the KMEA Festival on April 13th. It's the first time in 15 years that a band from Johnson Central has received distinguished honors and to say that the band was excited would be an understatement. Whenever we got on the bus, Ms. Lutz came back and she got on. She acted like we didn't get anything. But then whenever she goes, we scored two distinguishing, one proficient. We all just jumped up on the bus. You could feel the bus shaking because we were so excited. We were screaming, hooting, hollering. It was so fun. Band director Martina Lutz says the trip to the festival almost did not happen. The day to festival was actually the day that the Kentucky teachers were in Frankfurt rallying. And so I kind of had to make that decision of whether or not I was going to be there with my kids and still go to festival or if I was going to be rallying for my pension. And I told the kids that at the time they're more important. I'll figure out my pension later. And the fact that all the kids still showed up even though there was no school that day, it just shows how dedicated they truly are. Lutz went on to say she hopes that their achievement will help the program get bigger and better. In Paintsville, Shawn Allen, EKB News.