Nearly 800 individual nominations from across six states were received by organizers of the 2016 Ohio State University Middle School Honor Band Festival. 369 students were selected for participation, including 11 from Westerville middle schools.
Chosen to participate from Blendon are Laila Jones (8), clarinet; Andrew Jenkins (7), baritone; and Aiden Mukavetz (7), baritone saxophone. Anthony Vilardo, percussion; Lizzy Merkey, trumpet; and Ian Allison, tenor saxophone; were selected as alternates to the Eighth Grade Honor Band. Tim Brown, trumpet; and Ben Anglin, tenor saxophone; were selected as alternates to the Seventh Grade Honor Band. Blendon Middle School’s Director of Bands is Amy Levine.
Heritage participants are Kaitlynn Gleich (8), oboe; Audrey Morelock (8), tuba; Nadia Reynolds (8), trombone; and Megan Longwell (7), flute. Milixa Howard, alto saxophone; was selected as an alternate to the Eighth Grade Honor Band. Zsofia Kacsandi, French horn; Daniel Murray, alto saxophone; and Isaac Weaver, trumpet; were selected as alternates to the Seventh Grade Honor Band. The Director of Bands at Heritage Middle School is Chris Kuhn.
Participants from Walnut Springs are Ricky Owings (7), trumpet; Victoria Davis (7), French horn; and Owen Thompson (8), percussion. Star Ellis, alto saxophone; Diala Omran, flute; and Chloe Yingling, flute; were selected as alternates to the Eighth Grade Honor Band. Daniel Hager, trumpet; and Kobe Hunter, alto saxophone; were selected as alternates to the Seventh Grade Honor Band. Nick Pelfrey is the Director of Bands at Walnut Springs.