Nearly 800 individual nominations from across the state of Ohio were received by organizers of the 2014 Ohio State University Middle School Honor Band Festival. 360 pupils were selected for participation, including 11 from Westerville middle schools.
Selected to participate from Blendon are Kaylee Lucero, grade 8, clarinet; Natalie Reichert (8), bassoon; Deston Ferguson (7), trombone; and Bart Younkin (7), tuba. Blendon Middle School’s Director of Bands is Amy Levine. Heritage participants are Jordan Keller (7), French horn; Trevor Vestal (7), baritone saxophone; Edward Jewell (8), baritone saxophone; and Ian Wesley (8), trombone. The Director of Bands at Heritage Middle School is Chris Kuhn. Participants from Walnut Springs are Mackenzie Arens (8), tenor saxophone; Sabrina Davis (7), flute; and Nader Omran (7), tuba. Barbara Sutton is the Director of Bands at Walnut Springs.
If students selected for participation are unable to take part, an alternate will be moved into that vacated position. Blendon alternates are Jackson Nixon (8), tuba; Troy Taylor (8), saxophone; Tori Perdue (7), trumpet; and Lilia Rogers (7) percussion. Heritage alternates are Abigail Messina (8) B-flat clarinet; Nate Kinser (8), French horn; Zachary Ryan (7), alto saxophone; and Emily Stowers (7), alto saxophone. Walnut Springs alternates are Josh Coffey (8), trumpet; Jason Brown (8), trumpet; Kaleigh Rudge (8), flute; and Cassady Doel (7), alto saxophone.
The 2014 OSU Middle School Honor Band Festival will take place on Saturday, February 15 in Mershon Auditorium on the campus of The Ohio State University. Honor bands will have the opportunity to rehearse and perform with guest composer/conductor James Swearingen, 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.