By Mark Ambrogi
Noblesville High School will wind up the music department’s school year with a traditional Mayfest concert featuring more than 600 choir, orchestra and band students.
The concert is set for 6:30 p.m. May 11 in the gymnasium. The school will have more to celebrate than usual with several successful finishes across the program.
“We had four qualify for the All-State concert band, and we’ve never had that before,” said Eric Thornbury, the schools music department chairman and director of bands. “It was really exciting to have that many students playing at the highest level.”
In one weekend in March, Thornbury said several groups made a first.
The school’s color guard moved into a state class that had semifinals and finals March 18.
“There were 64 color guards that competed, and we ended up seventh (in the Regional A),” Thornbury said. “Then our jazz band, for the first time, made the Indiana State School Music Association state finals, and it got the outstanding rhythm section in the state (March 17).
The NHS Singers, the mixed show choir, placed fifth in state for mixed large group in the ISSMSA finals. New Dimension, the girls choir, also was fifth for women’s large group in the ISSMA state finals.
The winter percussion group got promoted to the next class, Scholastic A.
“Then we qualified for the Scholastic A state finals in the Indiana Percussion Association and placed ninth on April 1,” Thornbury said. “So this was a benchmark winter for all of our groups.”
Alice Kussow, oboe, and Evan Foley, tuba were named to the All-State Honor Band. Kussow also was named as an Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra Side by Side participant. Picked for the All State Band were Oliver Krefta, clarinet, and Umut Bicem, piccolo. Evan Foley, trombone, was an All-State Jazz selection.
Indiana Music Educators Association Honor Band selections are Kussow, oboe, Krefta, clarinet, Ally James, trumpet, and Charlie Hartman, horn.
Zach Brumfield earned an All-State Percussion honor.
Freshmen named to the Junior All-State were Grace Wiles, trombone, Kelly Reagin, guitar, Mark Miller, bass, and Aiden Board, drum set.
Freshman Anna Pockrass, baritone saxophone, was named to the Junior All-State Band.
“It’s always cool the first time. I don’t think next year it will be as big a news,” Thornbury said of the accomplishments. “Our expectation now is this happens every year. You start raising the bar.”