Story by Ainsley Hall
MARTINSBURG — Nine students from Martinsburg South Middle School will represent Berkeley County as part of the West Virginia Wesleyan North Central West Virginia Honor Band on Sunday.
Through this program, students will have the opportunity to work under well-known conductors, such as Victoria Warnet and Cameron Rush, as they learn advanced music to grow their skills. All nine students at South Middle who applied to join the honor band were selected to participate.
As a part of the honor band, the students learned six different music pieces on top of the five music pieces they have for the school. The students participating in the honor band include Amen Yehudah, Cabrin Rogers, Joesph Govan, Isaiah Aviles, Caroline Smelko, Camden Marpole, Risaiah Harrison, Donovan Nichols and Breydon Wilcox.
Two students, Nichols and Harrison, also received scholarships after writing essays about what band means to them. Heather Nowell, South Middle band director, opened it up to her students to apply for the program and recommended them for their dedication and hard work.
“Any time band students have the opportunity to get out of their comfort zone is a chance for them to learn more and expose themselves to more music,” Nowell said. “It’s an opportunity to play with other students. It’s beneficial to both them and the band program here. It’s also a good social opportunity, as they learn how to work with people they don’t know very well.”
Smelko and Nichols, both eighth-grade students, are excited to participate in the honor band and are working hard alongside the other students as they practice the music before the trip. They both grew up playing music and are passionate about learning more and growing their music skills.
“I’m looking forward to meeting new people and connecting with other students who love music,” Smelko said. “It’s also a chance to see the different skill levels and grow my own abilities.”
“Yeah, same for me,” Nichols added. “I also look forward to expanding my music knowledge. That’s what I want to do the most.”
During the trip, all participants will rehearse for two days before the festival concert on Tuesday. Students will also see the West Virginia Wesleyan Jazz Band perform, go on a campus tour and do different team-building exercises throughout the trip. The concert will be streamed live through the West Virginia Wesleyan Band Facebook page.