KMEA Band and Choir is a big deal to those in these fields. Students auditioned for it, and only some made it into the band or choir. The kids who made it into the district band are Carson Blevins, Lily Breedlove, Lora Breedlove, Alli Cramer, Circae Hopkinson, Danica Peterson, Leah Southard, Brooklyn Taylor, Dan Welch, and Tucker Wills. The kids who made it into the district choir are Jaeden Landreth, Petra Morris, Joelle Nichols, Annette Perez, and Issac Taylor. 

“The purpose of these honor band events is to push our students to be better, and also to simply play challenging literature with musicians from other schools. It is not uncommon for members of these bands to maintain strong friendships with players in schools across the state,” band director Stuart O’Neil said.

“I am always so excited for students to have an opportunity to work with a guest clinician and have a positive musical experience at honor choir conventions,” choir director Rachel Naughtin said.

Students are very excited for what has to come from KMEA, and have many goals for it, such as making it into KMEA All-State Band or Choir. You have to audition again to make it into All-State band or choir, and that can be a nerve-wracking thing. 

“The district audition doubles as our state audition, so it is super nerve-wracking to only have one shot to impress the judges,” junior choir member Annette Perez said. 

“District band was a very long and stressful ordeal that took months to prepare for, and I was nervous to audition,” junior trombone player Alli Cramer said. “I’m very excited for districts, but I can’t really say if I’m excited for state because I don’t know if I’ll make it.” 

Senior alto saxophone Carson Blevins made both the district jazz band and the district symphonic band, which is a very big achievement.

“This is not the first time this has happened, although it is somewhat rare. Carson made it into both bands last year as well,” O’Neil said.