It’s not every day that students at Baldwin High School travel four hours on a school bus. Friday and Saturday, however, were not normal days. Select students from the Baldwin band and choir made the journey to Larned for the 2019 KSHSAA State Solo and Small Ensembles Music Festival. This event proved to be a success, as the students came home with many 1 ratings.

“We left Saturday at 6:45 in the morning,” freshman singer Crayton Walters said. “It was four hours there and four hours back with a couple stops. I also didn’t get a lot of sleep. It was worth it though. It was really fun.”

For the participating musicians, the day was filled with lots of down time.

“When we weren’t singing we waited in the middle school gym until we had to sing at 4:20,” Walters said. “Three groups and a couple solos went.”

The singers put in a lot of effort to achieve their goals as a group.

“We all worked hard and got what we wanted,” Walters said. “We got a one.”

The singers are very passionate about choir, and express eagerness to have the opportunity to go again next year.

“I love singing and how much fun I have with everyone in the choir.” Walters said. “They are a good group of kids.”

The trip for band students went a little differently.

“We left Friday at four,” sophomore singer and trombonist Jacob Hofman said. “We went down to Great Bend to stay the night.”

Some students such as Hofman were both in band and choir.

“I was in two ensembles, the brass ensemble and the advanced tenor and bass ensemble,” Hofman said. “All the ensembles got ones, which is incredible! And the solos were all really good too.”

Hofman’s experience with performing in both band and choir was somewhat straightforward.

“Besides needing to practice more, it wasn’t really difficult to do both,” Hofman said. “My performances were spread out enough that it was pretty easy.”

Like many others, Hofman showed enthusiasm toward being able to go next year.

“Since this is my second year, and I’m not exhausted yet, it was fun,” Hofman said. “The people in these events are great, and I can’t wait to go again next year. Fingers crossed.”