District Band is an audition honor band hosted by Kansas Music Educators Association. Our district includes all of the 6A schools in the Northeast corner of the State from Topeka to Kansas City. We host the auditions at Olathe East and there are over 1,000 students that audition just for band. The etudes are released by KMEA at the end of the school year and then the auditions are held in November of the following school year. Students prepare an etude and scales on their own oustide of class, usually with the help of a private teacher. The audition is a blind audition, where the judges cannot see the students auditioning. The students perform the etude and scales in addition to sight reading. Students who are selected and perform at District Band are then eligible to audition for the Kansas All-State Band. The music and process for State is the same as District. The auditions are in early January (sometimes before we are back from winter break) and are held at Salina Central High School. We bus the students down the Friday night before the auditions and stay in a hotel. The auditions usually last until late afternoon and then we bus back home.

 

2022 Olathe East All-State Band students

 

Jack McGregor- Flute

Claire Heigele- Clarinet

Sydney Watson- Clarinet

Jordan Colton- Bass Clarinet

Dylan Slocombe- Tenor Sax

Cameron Castaldi- Trumpet

Liam Courson- French Horn

Billy Sharp- Trombone

Joe Bledsoe- Baritone

Scott Boyack- Bari Sax Alternate

Caden Miller- Baritone Alternate

Samantha Eaton- Mallet Alternate

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2021 ECKMEA District Honor Bands:

 

Gold Band 

• Claire Heigele- Clarinet

• Dylan Slocombe- Tenor Sax (first chair)

• Billy Sharp- Trombone (first chair)

• Caden Miller- Baritone (first chair)

• Sam Eaton- Percussion

 

Red Band

• Cherie Liu- Flute

• Wesley Janssen- Clarinet

• Sydney Watson- Clarinet

• Jordan Culton- Bass Clarinet

• Avery Prather- Trumpet

• Julia Sibson- Trumpet

• Joe Bledsoe- Baritone

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Blue Band

• Abigail Johnson- Flute

• Jack McGregor- Flute

• Cameron Castaldi- Trumpet

• Liam Courson- French horn (first chair)

• Emerson Prather- Percussion

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Alternates

• Scott Boyack- Bari Sax

• Brooklyn Borgelt- Bari Sax

• Dylan Maxwell- Trumpet

• Abbie Linn- Percussion

 

 

2020 District Band:

 

Gold Band

Caleb Hernandez, Clarinet

Josh Laughlin, Alto Sax

Colvin Hoskins, Tenor Sax

Billy Sharp, Trombone

Caden Miller, Euphonium

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Red Band

Dylan Slocombe, Tenor Sax

Cameron Castaldi, Trumpet

Audrey Henkel, Mallets

Jessie Fish, Snare

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Blue Band

Jack McGregor, Piccolo

Anna Billam, Oboe

Jeremiah Valenzuela, Clarinet

Claire Heigele, Clarinet

Sydney Watson, Clarinet

Jordan Culton, Bass Clarinet

Scott Boyack, Baritone Sax

Avery Prather, Trumpet

Joseph Bledsoe, Euphonium

Sam Eaton, Snare

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Jazz Band

Ben Lodge, Alto Sax

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2019 Results:

GOLD

Maggie Clegg - Flute

Ethan Wootton - Mallets

 

RED

Courtney Crews - Flute

 Sofia Valdez - Bassoon

 Laurel Carder - Clarinet

 

BLUE

Jeremiah Valenzuela - Clarinet

Caleb Hernandez - Clarinet

Ximena Leon - Clarinet

Josh Laughlin - Alto Saxophone

Aaron Bethel - Trumpet

Liam Courson - Horn

Luke Horsch - Trombone

 

Jackson Hunter - Euphonium

Braden Black - Timpani

Sam Hoyer - Mallets

 

Jessie Fish - Snare

 

High School Band Alternates

Alt. 2 - Sydney Watson - Clarinet

Alt. 2 - Dylan Slocomb - Tenor Saxophone

Alt. 5 - Jacob Barbara - Trumpet

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Jazz Band

Alt. - Devan Griffin - Bari Sax

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2018 Results:

A big Congratulations to members of the Olathe East Band program that made the East Central District Honor Band! We had a record number of students selected this year with 25 students selected as either a member of the group or as an alternate. This is the culmination of months of hard work and we couldn't be happier for all of them! They will perform on December 1st at the District Band Festival hosted at Blue Valley High School.

Congratulations goes out to:

Courtney Crews—Piccolo alternate

Anna McGregor—Oboe

Jordan Flemming—Clarinet

Anna Carr—Clarinet

Ximena Leon—Clarinet

Jeremiah Valenzuela—Clarinet

Caleb Hernandez—Clarinet

Laurel Carder—Clarinet alternate

Bryan Kwon—Bassoon

Sophia Valdez— Bassoon

Emma Plank—Bass Clarinet

Josh Laughlin—Alto Sax

Aaron Bethel—Trumpet

Jacob Barbara—Trumpet alternate

Kristin Gjovig—French Horn

Luke Horsch—Trombone

Adam Kahnk— Tuba

Chayse Stegman—Mallets

Ethan Wootton—Snare

Braden Black—Snare

Sam Jerguson—Snare

Audrey Henkel—Mallets

Evan Kappelman—Tenor Sax, Jazz Band

Nolan Ralph—Trombone, Jazz Band

Nathan Byard—Piano alternate, Jazz Band

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