To audition for the honor band, students created audition tapes and were accepted based on the quality of their musicianship. Once at the festival, they’ll rehearse and perform with students from around the country, under the baton of world-class conductors. They’ll also have the opportunity to perform with guest clarinet soloist Julian Bliss and guest conductor Mike Bankhead.

“This is an incredible opportunity to meet and network with other college-aged students and directors from across the Northwest,” said Danielle Davey, MHCC director of bands and music instructor. “Plus, it’s really fun and rewarding to practice and perform with people you’ve just met, and to learn from one another in the process.”

For clarinetist Hayden Casper, this is his second year participating in the WIBC-U honor band. Last year, he had the opportunity to meet one of his musical icons, composer Frank Ticheli. This year, he’s looking forward to catching up with friends from throughout the Pacific Northwest and building new relationships.

Clarinetist Logan Cory is headed into his first honor band performance in Seattle. He’s most looking forward to playing in some larger ensembles and meeting Julian Bliss.

“I see this as a great opportunity to further my abilities and to learn from some amazing talent,” said Cory. “I expect honor band will open my eyes to new techniques and styles for playing the clarinet.”

You can learn more about MHCC’s Music Ensembles by visiting mhcc.edu/MusicEnsembles