Iola High School senior Bethany Miller recently performed with the top high school musicians in Kansas after earning second chair trombone in the state band.
The achievement followed a competitive audition process and culminated in an intense weekend of rehearsals and performance at the Kansas Music Educators Association (KMEA) conference at the Century II Convention Center in Wichita.
Students reach state band through a rigorous audition process that begins at the district level. According to USD 257 band instructor Brandi Holt, students first prepare a packet of musical excerpts independently before performing portions of them in a blind audition for a panel of judges.
Students who place high enough at district earn the opportunity to audition for state where they then compete for limited spots in the ensemble.
Miller’s placement as second chair trombone in the state large ensemble allowed her to perform at the KMEA conference.
Holt and Miller attended the conference Feb. 25 with all-day rehearsals continuing over the next two days as musicians worked to bring the program together in a short amount of time.
“She rehearsed a total of 14 hours over the course of Thursday and Friday,” Holt said.
Miller described the experience as demanding but exciting.
“The rehearsals are really intense,” said Miller. “You have to stay very focused for very long periods of time.”
THE STATE band performed three selections: “Symphonic Dance No. 3, Fiesta” by Clifton Williams, “Shenandoah” by Omar Thomas and “Anna’s Gift” by Dr. Andrew Boysen Jr. The ensemble was also conducted by Boysen, a composer and conductor who earned his master’s and doctorate from Northwestern University.
Holt said working with Boysen was a rare opportunity for the students.
“Bethany was really working with the cream of the crop when it comes to a clinician,” Holt said.
One of the most memorable moments of the performance for Miller came during “Anna’s Gift,” a piece written in honor of a teenage girl who had passed away. During the performance, the girl’s father — himself a band director — conducted the ensemble.
“Everybody was just sobbing as we were playing it,” Miller said.
The performance concluded with a standing ovation that lasted several minutes, leaving a lasting impression on Miller. “It was one of the top three moments of my life, to just stand there and soak that in,” Miller said. “We were part of something bigger than ourselves.”
MILLER, who has been involved in the band program for six years, said her inspiration for music came from several places. She recalled attending a state performance years ago to watch her brother, Jon Miller, who played trumpet.
