Music News

Fall 2003

Just because it was summer, didn't mean that our music students put away their instruments. Many used the summer for specialized study at Arts and Music Camps around the country. At Interlochen Music Camp, Elizabeth Adams (10) viola, studied at the Advanced String Quartet Institute and Traven LaBortz (10) viola, took Jazz Improv, Music lessons and sculpture. Suzanna Barnes (11) violin, participated in the Jamey Aebersold Jazz Workshop. And Colin Lambert (10) cello studied at Northern Kentucky University's Piano Institute and participated in the Norse Festival.

Also at work during the summer break was the 2003-'04 Marching Band. Rookies and the Color Guard started training the last week of July. The rest of the band joined in August with a week away at band camp and daily practices at school. All of that hard work began to pay off when the Band received its first award from the Harvest Home Parade judges, who-named them "Best Band." They have also been competing in area competitions since early September. Audiences at every competition have been impressed with their show. The band is marching to "Gloria" by John Rutter. They received a superior rating early in the season at the Amelia competition, qualifying them to compete at the 2003 Ohio Music Educators Association (OMEA) State Competition at the end of the season. Here is a summary of their awards to date:

Kings H.S. Invitational
— Second Place in Class AAA
— Best Field Commanders (Seniors Colin Brush and Jeremy Williams)
West Clermont Invitational
— Second Place in Class AA
— Reserve Grand Champion
— Best Field Commanders
LaSalle H.S. Invitational
— Second Place, Open Class
— Best Visual Performance
— Best Field Commanders
Lockland High School Competition
— First Place in Class AA
— Grand Champion of Contest
— Best Percussion
— Best Auxiliary
— Best Overall Music
— Best Overall Marching
— Best Overall General Effect
— Best Overall Percussion
Hamilton High School Competition
— Second Place in Class AA
— Best Percussion
— Best Overall Marching
— Best Overall Percussion

* At Homecoming we hosted our bi-annual Alumni Band Night. Every other year, Marching Band alumni return for an evening of "Dinner on the Commons" and the opportunity to play on the field with current Marching Band students.

* The Jazz Combo has been busy performing for some WHHS alumni groups and performed at this year's Golden Galaxy Awards Oct. 23 at the Cintas Center.

* The Senior Choir performed with the Vocal Arts Ensemble in their fall concerts. With Lisa Peters conducting, the choir performed solo works as well as performing with the Ensemble.

* As always, many of our talented Walnut Hills students are per forming in community theater productions or are members of city- or state-wide music groups. All of them had to make it through very competitive auditions to earn their spots. They include:

  • May Festival Youth Chorus Cohn Brush (12), Megan Callahan (12), Jane Cheng (11), Chris Hessel (10), Alex Kesman (12), Alicia King (11), Sara Krehbiel (11), Olivia Lewis (10), Charlotte Loflin (12), Nancy Paraskevopoulos (12), and Jeremy Williams (12).

  • Cincinnati Symphony Youth Orchestra Elizabeth Adams (10), viola; Katie Herman (11), French horn; Cohn Lambert (10), cello; Emily Michael (11) flute; Sarah Michael (12), violin; and Jake Whitman (11), bass.

  • Cincinnati Youth Wind Ensemble Mart Bregger (12), trumpet; David Bruestle (12), trombone; Malcolm Cooper (12), tuba; Chris Dragga (12), flute; Tommy Hopkins (11), trombone; Greg Kaufman (11), percussion; Emma Nager (11), Alex Magg (11), Bari Sax; Julie Rice (11), French horn; Amy Smith (12), trombone; Christian Smith (8), percussion; Dillon Teske (11), trumpet. Blue Ash Youth Symphony Clare Roche (10), violin.

  • Cincinnati Junior Strings Julie Adkins (8), violin; and Anna Risch (8), violin.

  • Starling Chamber Orchestra: Sarah Michael (12), violin; and Danielle McNeil (11), violin.

  • CCM Preparatory Brass Choir David Bruestle (12), trombone; Tommy Frank (12), euphonium; Andrew Fowler (10), trombone; and Katie Herman (11), French horn.

  • OMEA 2004 All State Band Taylor Burton (9), clarinet; and Ervin Tormos (11), alto sax.

  • OMEA 2004 All State Orchestra Wind Section Katie Herman (11), French horn.

  • These OMEA All State groups will be performing at the Ohio Music Educators Association (OMEA) Professional Conference Feb 4-7, 2004 in Columbus, OH.

  • * Joe Sofranko (11) is appearing in Clear Stage Cincinnati's pro duction of "The Return of the King" - the third part of The Lord of The Rings trilogy. He will be playing the part of "Frodo."

    * Michael Carr (9) performed the role of Huck Finn in the Children's Theater production of "Tom Sawyer," which was per formed during this year's Tall Stacks.

    * Spencer Viator (8) is performing in Cincinnati Music Theater's November productions of "Ragtime." He has the role of the "Little Boy" (Edgar).

    * Christian Smith (8) was presented the Outstanding Achievement Award on Percussion at the Interlochen Arts Camp this past summer. He played first chair percussion in the Intermediate Concert and Symphony Orchestras in Session A.

    © 2003, Walnut Hills High School Association Newsletter, Fall Issue, 2003