This Saturday, February 1, 2025, Lewis Cass Band members travel to Kokomo High School to participate in the solo and ensemble competitions. The Lewis Cass Band has 23 students participating in the competition this year. The Courier asked band directors, Mr. Hinshaw, Mr. Humburg, and senior Alan Healton a few questions about this upcoming competition.

Some people may not know what happens at this competition, so the Kings’ Courier asked Mr. Hinshaw to elaborate and tell us more about what goes on at the competition, and Humburg had this to say, “Students will travel to Kokomo High School and play individually and in small groups for judges. This is not a competition between schools, but more a competition of their individual skill set and ability. The judges will rate their performances with a gold, silver, or bronze rating. Students who earn a gold rating in the hardest difficulty level will advance to the State Solo and Ensemble competition on March 1.” Lastly, Mr. Hinshaw said the seniors participating in the competition were, Raelynn Miles, Larissa Rominger, Acacia Roberts, Abii Mullett-Stepp, Kyla Bird, Allen Healton, Adam Healton, and Kaylee McDorman, and Logan Hook.

With an intense competition such as this, there must be a lot of preparation. Mr. Humburg said, “Preparation can feel like a slow and grueling process. Students spend a lot of time and dedication on one piece of music. We start preparing in late May. We start in November by choosing music that will best fit each student. Then, they spend time working on it note by note and measure by measure until it is as prepared as it can be.” When asked about the goals for the competition, Mr. Humburg said, “Our goals are always to strive for excellence in everything that we do. We try to maximize our efficiency at rehearsals with the short amount of time that we have. We just want the students to enjoy what they do, find an emotional connection to the music, and play to the best of their ability.”
Next, senior band member, Alan Healton, gave his thoughts on multiple things about this competition and the band in general. Healton is a four-year band member and said he plays the marimba, trombone, baritone, and tuba. As a senior band member, we asked Helton about the many fundraisers the band does each year. Which fundraiser does he consider the most or least challenging? Alan said, “I haven’t really had a worst fundraiser other than the dine-to-donate, but that’s because I don’t go out to eat much.” We also asked Alan what he was excited about for this solo and ensemble competition. Healton replied with, “I am excited for all of my solos and groups because each of them requires different skills, and it is nice to show them off once in a while.“
In conclusion, all the Lewis Cass Kings would like to wish good luck to all the band members participating in the solo and ensemble competition at Kokomo High School on Saturday. Go Kings!