After much practice and dedication, Hart District’s Honor Band performed at the Hart High School theater on the evening of Feb. 22. Out of hundreds of applicants, 23 West Ranch students were accepted into the program. Given the rigorous screening process, participation was a strong achievement for the students involved. Playing as a member of the band is also enjoyable for the musicians. Senior first chair French horn player Madeline Gaines remarked, “I really like it because I get to be in a really big ensemble.” Including schools across the district, the band is made up of 90 students.
Band students across the district spent months dedicating hours of rehearsal to their auditions for the honor band. “It was a lot of work, especially as a clarinet it’s pretty competitive,” senior second chair clarinet player Jonathan Myung commented. Audition materials were distributed in mid-November of 2024, and band members worked to perfect them until auditions in late January. “The audition is done live. It consists of various technique exercises, an etude and portions of the music for that year’s concert,” West Ranch Band Director Dr. Rod Schuller explained.
On the night of the performance, the line for entrance wrapped around the school, with some attendees waiting for an hour or more. When the doors opened, the crowd quickly filled the theater, leaving few empty seats. Students, friends, family and music enthusiasts awaited the performances of Hart district’s talented young musicians.
Following the middle school band award, the audience enjoyed an intermission with refreshments while the high school band set up. Student volunteers reset chairs to accommodate the larger ensemble for their performance.
The Hart District Honor Band opened with “Infinity” by Katajh Copley. The three-minute piece, which premiered in 2021, features 12 unique instruments such as the clarinet and trumpet. Copley is a composer and educator with over 100 musical works to his name. “With Infinity, I wanted to construct the phenomena of shooting stars flying through an infinite playground- space,” Copley explained on his website “Katajh Copley Music”. His artistic vision on capturing the stars in the sky inspired the transition to the song’s finale, because to him, shooting stars rebirth and find a better life.
The second song performed was another three-minute piece titled “Autumn” by Cait Nishimura. It was first premiered by the Pacific Lutheran University Wind Ensemble directed by Edwin Powell in 2018. Composer Nishimura is a Japanese Canadian composer based in Waterloo, Ontario. On her website “Cait Nishimura Music, she described the piece as being “inspired by seasonal scenic imagery.”
Next up was a work by Czech-American composer Václav Nelhýbel (1919-1996), titled “Corsican Litany,” based on a lamenting piece known to have been sung at the funeral of a doctor who was murdered by his patient. The melody begins mournfully, but grows steadily in passionate intensity until an astonishing climax is reached at the final menacing oath of vengeance. “It was one of the harder pieces, and it had depth to it,” freshman and first chair bass clarinet player Avaneesh Suryavanshi commented.
Then the night continued with the annual plaque presentations. The High School Scholarship and the Robert K. Down Scholarship were given out to three dedicated students. These scholarships recognized students who are leaders in their band section, have four years of experience in the honor band and distribute important qualities such as leadership and sportsmanship. Jonathan Myung, one of the two recipients of the High School Scholarship, expressed, “It means a lot to me. I’ve been working up to this point and now I’m finally recognized for what I’ve done.”
After the awards, the band played one last song, a piece often considered iconic. “Star Wars: The Force Awakens,” written by John Williams and arranged by Jay Bocook, is a famous track from the popular “Star Wars” films. This piece was brought to life by the honor band and was a favorite among the audience and others involved in the music program. “I have to admit the ‘Star Wars’ arrangement was quite good,” Dr. Schuller noted. Its fame and recognizability seemed to appeal to the crowd as well. “‘Star Wars’ was my favorite. The rhythm, the way they played it, hearing every dynamic, it was perfect,” audience member freshman Shaun Dhareshwar reflected.
Honor Band was an opportunity for student musicians of the Hart district to come together with others in a mutual appreciation for music. Congratulations to the 23 West Ranch students who were part of this amazing program!
