Nearly 800 individual nominations from across the State of Ohio were received by organizers of the 2015 Ohio State University Middle School Honor Band Festival. 358 pupils were selected for participation, including 11 from Westerville middle schools.
Selected to participate from Blendon are Thomas Pappas, (8), bassoon; Deston Ferguson (8), bassoon; and Courtney Hornyak (7), trombone. Blendon Middle School’s Director of Bands is Amy Levine.
Heritage participants are Kaitlynn Gleich (7), oboe; Lindsey Hartshorn (7), French horn; Audrey Morelock (7), tuba; and Kendall Wright (8), tuba. The Director of Bands at Heritage Middle School is Chris Kuhn.
Participants from Walnut Springs are Sabrina Davis (8), flute; Nader Omran (8), tuba; Lillie Garee (7), clarinet; and Chloe Yingling (7), flute. Barbara Sutton is the Director of Bands at Walnut Springs.
If students selected for participation are unable to take part, alternates will be moved into vacated positions.
Blendon alternates are Philip Alston (8), alto saxophone; Deveric Burigana (8), trumpet; Kyle Daniels (7), percussion; Abby Ball (7) flute; and Nathan Gibbs (7) alto saxophone.
Heritage alternates are Milixa Howard (7), alto saxophone; Zachary Ryan (8), alto saxophone; Emily Stowers (8), alto saxophone; and Tony Ruyack (8), percussion.
Walnut Springs alternates are Preston McCallum (8), trumpet; Darby Hesson (8), clarinet; Aidan Flannery (7), trumpet; and Marin Kalista (7), alto saxophone.
The 2015 OSU Middle School Honor Band Festival will take place on Saturday, February 21 in Mershon Auditorium on the campus of The Ohio State University. Students who were selected for the one-day event will participate in one of two 90-piece 7th Grade Honor Bands or one of two 8th Grade Honor Bands. All four honor bands will have the opportunity to rehearse and perform with guest composer Robert Sheldon, in addition to side-by-side rehearsals with musicians of the OSU Symphonic Band and Collegiate Winds. A free public performance will take place in Mershon Auditorium at 4:00 p.m.