By Kelsie Teves

k.teves@trojan times.org

Having such a successful music program here at MHS, it was not a surprise that for this year’s 2013 Central District Honor Band, 18 MHS students out of a total of 100 musicians from the Central District were chosen to participate.

“I think (the honor band) showcases the best and the brightest in terms of band music in the district and specifically at MHS,” expressed former Honor Band participant and Fine Arts teacher Curtis Hiyane.

Though many MHS students are taking part in the Honor band, not just anyone can be part of it; they must be recommended by a band director. To choose the students, the MHS directors first look at the music they plan to perform and then decide how many instruments from each section of the band they choose. After that, they look for a musician whose proficiency on their instrument and attitude has stood out throughout the school year. Students then audition at their first rehearsal by having a seating test to see what chair ranking they would have in their sections. Alto saxophonist Senior Marisa Stanley placed first chair in her section. “I haven’t been first chair in a while, so when I auditioned for this band, I got first chair and one of the songs, I have a solo, so that kind of gave me some pressure. So that made me also feel good because I actually get to do something,” said Stanley.

Seeing that this program is to challenge students to become better musicians, they had been given a rare opportunity to work with two qualified clinicians. The first being Dr. Larry Blocher, who is the Professor of Music and Director of the School of Music at Troy University in Alabama who conducted the band’s first piece “Rejouissance” by James Curnow, as well as Dr. Jeffery Boeckman, the Director of Bands at the University of Hawaii at Manoa who directed the band’s second piece “Dancing at Stonehengeî by Anthony Suter.”  While with the band, the conductors adjudicated the band at their performance and fine-tuned them at rehearsals.

“I think the directors in the district believe that this group is more than putting on a good performance. There’s a lot of interaction and camaraderie and the friendships that they make go way beyond the concert. (The honor band) is a social venue for them to meet other people as well as to develop their musical skills,” stated Hiyane.

Although the main point of the Honor Band is to have these young musicians better themselves at their craft and at the same time creating ties with each other, it is also for them to grow as a person. “Because (the program) is an honor band you don’t want to let people down and you want to make sure you practice. So it makes me practice more and it makes me more aware of my responsibilities towards Honor Band,” stated bassoonist Junior Stacey Agena.

The Honor Band performed at their only concert on March 9 at Aiea High School for the Central District Honor Band Concert.