Last Thursday, the band held their annual solo contest finals. This concert showcases a group of nine students that have demonstrated incredible musical skill. At this competition, the top three students receive a small music scholarship, while the top two get the chance to perform their piece with the top finalists from other LISD schools.

“Being a finalist very surprising, exciting, and a little scary,” senior finalist and trumpet player, Jacob Chase said. “It meant I had to perform in front of hundreds of people, who were expecting something amazing from me.”

However, even the best musicians experience nerves, as both Chase and flute player, Lauren Maunder described.

“I was extremely nervous,” Maunder said. “It was scary, but it felt exhilarating and I enjoyed it.”

The solo contest finalists, however, both agree that the competition is a rare opportunity for the instrumentalists to perform difficult solo pieces for a large audience.

“Performing was actually a lot of fun,” Chase said. “I got to play with a professional pianist on a solo I had been working on for months. Everyone was excited to hear me, and I was excited to show them what I had been working on.”

Maunder also said, “It meant a lot to me that my hard work and practice had paid off. I’m so excited that I had this opportunity.”

Overall, the band’s solo contest has had another year of success, providing a unique opportunity for their talented students.

“The past 2 years I have worked especially hard in my trumpet practice,” Chase said. “I had never even made semi finals in the solo contest, and I was never able to make All-State, so to be able make something like the solo finals was a huge success for me, as my work had finally gotten me into something I wanted to be a part of. So being able to perform in the solo finals meant a great deal to me.”