This year, Wellsboro Area High School had seven students (Kyle Wilson, Anna Bleggi, Rachel Chamberlain, Allyssa Boyd, Sarah Hart, Summer Kitajima, and Brooke Hulslander) compete in District Band. These seven students worked very hard to ... the music they had gotten. Three of the seven students made the cut into regionals. The three students - Allyssa Boyd, Sarah Hart, and Brooke Hulslander -  all play some type of clarinet. If you didn't know, the week they went to audition for regionals was the week we had gotten a really bad snow storm. Our school district had to cancel school because of the snow. They were told to sleep in until nine o'clock and then report down to breakfast. This had ruined their schedule for the day. 

      This year was Allyssa's second year moving onto regionals, and it will be her last since she is a senior. Unfortunately, she was sick when they went to districts, but she did her best and placed third in the bass clarinet section. Her favorite song from districts was "Ave Maria". Her favorite experience was getting roomed with people that she already knew, and how they didn't get mad at her for getting up various times at night. 

       This was the first time Sarah had gotten into regionals, and she had placed fourth in the clarinet section. When she found out she was going to regionals, she was jumping for joy.  She did get into districts, and she had gotten first alternate. Sarah's favorite song was "Prelude, Siciliano, and Rondo". Her favorite experience was listening to the 130 person band that they had put together. It sounded more beautiful than what our regular band sounded like. She can't wait to meet all of the new people in regionals!

      This year was the first year for Brooke to get into districts and regionals. Brooke was under the weather and very tired before she auditioned to get into districts. She had slept for about an hour in the holding room before she auditioned. She was really confident that she wasn't going to make it into districts, but she made the cut and didn't come in last. Brooke's favorite song was "Sang!". Her favorite experience was "getting trapped at the hotel because of the snow". 

       As I am also in band, it was nice to get to know the experience of District Band to help me decide if I too want to try for districts next year. This was a great way to get to know some of the people in the Wellsboro band have gone far beyond the standards of band as a class.