Seven NSU students named to Intercollegiate Honor Band
Published: 2010-12-10
Northeastern State University has had seven students selected for the 2011 Oklahoma Intercollegiate Honor Band (OIHB), which will perform as part of the Oklahoma Music Educators Association convention January 19-22 in Tulsa.
Representing NSU are Amanda Jesperson of Broken Arrow on flute, Jonathan Rice of Checotah on bassoon, Kandis Bardell of Catoosa on clarinet, Timothy Moore of Grove on trumpet, Trevor Moore of Tulsa and Ryunosuke Hamada of Kagoshima, Japan, on trombone and Eric Schmidt of Wagoner on string bass.
"This honor reinforces what we know, that the quality of our music faculty and their students is amazing," said Dr. Paul Westbrook, dean of the College of Liberal Arts. "And it is noteworthy that Dr. Norman Wika and his students achieved these honors at a time when they were dislocated because of the long-term renovation of our Fine Arts Building."
Wika, director of bands and assistant professor of music, said the OIHB is a significant opportunity for NSU students to interact with other music students from around the state.
"These are the same musicians that they will be performing with, teaching with, and making music with for the rest of their careers once they finish their time at NSU," he said. "It's also a chance for them to be exposed to a world class conductor who will challenge them to be better musicians."
Conducting this year's honor band is Michael Haithcock, director of bands for the University of Michigan. The band will perform on Jan. 20 at 2 p.m. in the International Ballroom at the Doubletree Hotel in Tulsa Downtown, 616 W. Seventh St. The OMEA convention is at the Tulsa Convention Center, 100 Civic Center (West Seventh Street and South Houston Avenue).
NSU will send a larger contingent to the OIHB this year, having sent three students for the 2010 convention.
"The NSU band program is continuing to grow and improve," said Wika. "We are recruiting more students who possess great talent and academic focus and we are developing our current students to a high level of musical success."
There are 112 members of the honor band. Students are selected based on director recommendation. Selected students must audition for placement within their respective sections.
Section auditions are Jan. 19 at 12:30 p.m. The students and Haithcock then enter a brisk rehearsal schedule, practicing from 3-5:30 p.m. and 7:30-10 p.m. on Jan. 19 and from 8:30-11:30 a.m. on Jan. 20.