SJHS 8th Grade selected as OkMEA Honor Band


STILLWATER, Okla. – The Oklahoma Music Educators Association (OkMEA) has selected Stillwater’s 8th Grade Symphonic Band as one of six Honor Bands from across the state, and the only junior high band selected.

OkMEA selects six bands ranging from middle school to universities, to adult community groups as honor bands each year through a blind judging process. Selected along with the SJHS 8th Grade Symphonic Band as honor bands for this year are Yukon High School, Westmoore High School, Deer Creek High School, Oklahoma City University, and the University of Oklahoma.

The 8th Grade Symphonic Band will perform at the Tulsa Performing Arts Center on Thursday, January 16 at 7:00 pm as part of the OkMEA Honor Band Concert. Tickets will be available at the door for $20, or advance tickets can be purchased at tulsapac.com.

However, the band will perform a send-off concert for the Stillwater community on Tuesday, January 14, at 7:00 pm at the Stillwater High School Performing Arts Center. This performance will be free to attend.

“It would mean a great deal for our students to see a large crowd at the send-off concert,” said Megan Perkins, Assistant Director of Bands for Stillwater Public Schools and Director of the 8th Grade Symphonic Band. “They have been working very hard all semester, and this is an opportunity to showcase their work to the people at home who love and support them. Also, a bigger crowd will help them gain confidence for when they play on the huge stage of the Tulsa PAC in front of a much larger audience.”

This is the third time Stillwater’s 8th Grade Band has been selected as an OkMEA Honor Band with previous bands selected in 2017 and 2020. To help prepare this year’s students for the experience, Perkins has brought in world class clinicians to work with the band, including Jack Wilds, composer of one of the pieces the band will perform at the concert.

“It has certainly not been a normal 8th grade band year,” Perkins said. “We have worked up twice as much music as normal. Because of this we have had weekly sectionals and numerous extra rehearsals. I hope the students see that the extra rehearsals and sectionals were worth it once they experience the rush of performing for such a large audience on the stage of the Tulsa PAC.”

Stillwater Bands is under the direction of Kevin Zamborsky, Tricia Bailey-Bovenschen, Megan Perkins, KG Robinson and Katie Genevro and serves nearly 550 students in grades sixth through twelve in the Stillwater school district. Learn more about the Stillwater Public School Band Program at stillwaterbands.org.


 

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