The emergence of a new variant of COVID-19 has taken a toll across America since the beginning of 2022. This has affected many competitions for high schools all around Nebraska. One, in particular, that was affected was the University of Kearney Nebraska Band and Chorale Clinic. Many students spent hours on end preparing for this event when in the end all of that work was thrown away because the clinic was canceled. 

Two students from Alliance High School were accepted into the honor band: Aiden Zaro, a senior, and Landyn Branstiter, a sophomore. Zaro attained a spot as a percussionist and Branstiter made it as a baritone saxophone. Branstiter was one of the two bari saxophone players that made it. Playing an instrument in high school while having to balance time with friends, family and finding time for schoolwork is extremely difficult, let alone having to set aside more time to pull an audition together. 

Zaro has been playing various instruments through the school since the 5th grade, making this year his eighth year playing through Alliance Public Schools. He strives to be an amazing musician one day and “doing honor bands is a great way to get better and learn new things.” Honor bands are sponsored by colleges and held by college professors, so the music and skill level is much different from the high school level. The strongest musicians from high schools all around Nebraska were selected to play at the UNK honor band. Zaro states, “Every time I go to an honor band I come back with lots of new knowledge that I can then spread back to our band here at home and to students in the future.” 

Zaro’s strongest instrument is percussion. Due to this, he spent more time practicing his Chadron honor band music, which was on trumpet. Zaro said, “trumpet is not my strong suit, thus Chadron’s music required a lot more of my attention.” Although he did not spend as much time on Kearney’s music, he still spent over a month practicing Kearney’s music. That is multiple hours of hard work and dedication that were just put to waste. Zaro kept an optimistic outlook and said, “all in all I am just happy that I was accepted!”

Branstiter has also been in band since the 5th grade. He plays all of the saxophones and many other woodwind instruments. He is enrolled in three band classes this semester: concert band, jazz band and a band lessons class. Auditioning for an honor band was a requirement for Branstiter’s lessons class, but he also wanted to experience being around other musicians as talented as him. Branstiter said, “When the honor band was canceled, I was very upset. I had spent so much time and so much effort for it to get taken away.” 

Branstiter spent hours on end practicing his music, I should know, I’m his sister. He spent at least an hour a day practicing outside of school from the day he got accepted up until the day the honor band got canceled, totaling over 39 hours. This does not include the hours that he “practiced with extra help from my band director in [his] lessons period class.” Branstiter was looking forward to meeting new people and being challenged with college-level music. Branstiter was extremely proud of himself because “[He] was one of the two baritone saxophone players who got accepted. This, to [him], is a huge accomplishment.”

On the other side of the clinic, two students from AHS were accepted into the honor choir: Mikayla Seebohm, a senior, and Annaka Digmann, a junior. They both have a strong passion for singing and were looking forward to singing with other students at the same level as them. Seebohm has been singing through the AHS Public Schools for four years, this being her fourth. Digmann has since the 7th grade, making this her fifth year. They both show extreme dedication to their passion. 

Digmann usually auditions for every honor choir that her director tells her class about. She has auditioned for this honor choir twice and has not been able to attend either time, due to COVID-19. This was extremely disappointing for her, but also relieved her. As a high school student involved in many clubs and activities, she has lots to do. She said, “I was behind on my FCCLA project and the cancellation gave me more time to work on it.” 

Digmann explained the audition as “fairly easy.” The audition consisted of a multitude of scales, arpeggios and singing “America the Beautiful.” She spent the majority of her time practicing during her choir class. She only spent a few days practicing her audition. Before she ever had the chance to practice the songs they would be singing, she found out that the honor choir was canceled. 

Seebohm was extremely upset when she found out that all of the work that she had put in would go to nothing. Although the music for the audition was challenging and improved her skills, she does not have the opportunity to show her improvement. She is also a senior and would have “loved to attend the honor choir because it would have been the first and only time [she] would be able to go.” She was also looking forward to being around other singers to help improve her vocal techniques. 

Seebohm felt let down when she heard the news of the cancellation. She said, “It also is unfortunate that all who would have attended lost the opportunity to improve their singing and be a part of the honor choir this year.” She spent about two weeks practicing the scales for her audition during class. Like Digmann, she never had the chance to practice the sheet music for the honor choir. 

These four extremely talented students were stripped of the opportunity to improve their skills. All of AHS and the SPUD are proud of them for the hard work that they put into their auditions. Getting accepted is a huge accomplishment, so keep your heads up!