Chandler and Meeker ended marching band season on a high note with a combined 15 students - 11 from Chandler and four from Meeker - making the Cimarron Valley Honor Band. The band has a total of 80 students from all over the state.
This is the most students from Chandler that have made the band, according to band director Rachel Karger. They also had 11 students make the middle school honor band.
“A large contributor is that we had more students audition this year. We also have a supertalented group,” she said.
She added that she is very excited for her students. Honor band shows their motivation, work and dedication, and is something they do all their own. Karger said she is there to help, but all the real work is done by the students.
“Honor bands create inspired and better musicians. In turn, that helps facilitate a better band program at home,” she said.
Just because marching band season is over doesn’t mean the band can take a break. The Pride of Chandler will be performing in the Chandler Christmas Parade on Dec. 2 and has a Christmas concert of their own. They also have secondround all-state auditions.
“We’re working hard on all that music,” she said.
In January, they kick off concert band contest season. Karger said she hopes they advance to state again and are working on bringing home another sweepstakes award.
Cimarron Valley Honor Band is just one that Meeker students made this year. Director Tony Thoma said he also had three students make All-District Honor Band and one on All-State Honor Band.
“The kids show up before and after school to get help from me to make themselves better and give themselves a better shot at getting into the band,” he said. “The amount of extra work that they put in on top of all the things we already do… they find time to perfect another set of music and try and make it into those bands. It’s a big deal whenever they make it.”
He said the band is involved with pretty much every other thing on campus, from playing at pep assemblies to games. The Pride of Meeker will play in the town’s Christmas parade on Dec. 2 and then hold a Christmas concert on Dec. 5. Before that, they will compete in a Christmas parade contest in Tecumseh on Nov. 30 Following that, they will also kick off concert band season, as well as play at a couple of basketball games starting in January.
“Even though we got out of marching band season, we don’t slow down,” Thoma said.
The students who made the Cimarron Valley Honor Band are: From Chandler - Allison Radcliffe and Madelyn Ledford for flute, Bethany Descher and Harley Cole for clarinet, Weston Miller for saxophone, Alexis Juel and Landon Gray for trumpet, Ian Radcliffe for French horn, Gage Crews for trombone, Lily Milam for tuba, and Samuel Gardner for percussion.
From Meeker - Mallory Blankenship and Wylee Washburn for trombone, Corban Maggard for euphonium, and Wayland Tucker for tuba.