Rising musicians performed many pieces to a full audience for the 27th High School Honor Band Festival sponsored by Southeastern’s Department of Fine and Performing Arts.  
The Wind Ensemble and Wind Symphony took place Saturday, Dec. 7 in Pottle Auditorium as musicians performed under nationally renowned conductors.
Gary Burton conducted the Wind Ensemble who played “Praeludium and Fuga,” “Aspen Song,” “Flourishes” and “The Black Watch.”  Samuel R. Hazo conducted the Wind Symphony who played “Excerpts from Pictures at an Exhibiton,” “Suite on this Shining Night,” “English Folk Song Suite, Movement 1,” “Mountain Thyme” and “Enchanted Spaces.”
Clarinet player Alexandra Rogers, who attends East Ascension High School and performed with the Wind Symphony, spoke of Hazo, “I think he was awesome.  I feel like he was a really good [conductor].  He was a good teacher, and the way he explained things was great.  He gave a lot of good advice.  One was ‘Don’t play to top other people, but play for yourself.  Put your emotion into the music and just play the best that you can play.’  I really like that a lot.”
After going through percussion and flute in the sixth grade, Rogers finally found her passion and chose clarinet. Joining Honor Band has helped her on her way to her dream and has provided her friends who positively impact her life.
“A lot of my best friends I know from Honor Band, and I feel like if I never played music or joined Honor Band I wouldn’t know these people. They made a huge impact in my life.”
Rogers stated that one of her favorite songs performed was “Mountain Thyme,” which was composed by Hazo.  
“It was just really pretty, and I really felt something when I was playing it, especially the meaning behind the song,” said Rogers.  “I think the audience can tell we put our emotions into the song.”
Hazo wrote “Mountain Thyme” as a memorial for Garrett Mangelson, a young boy who died at the age of two. Mangelson’s father is a band director in Utah who has played Hazo’s work before. Although they did not know each other at the time, he emailed Hazo asking if he would write a memorial piece for Garrett.  
“It was very difficult to write. I wrote it exactly two years ago at this time.  It was tough to write that memorial since it was a memorial for someone so young,” said Hazo.
Hazo studied music education in college but taught himself how to conduct. Visiting Southeastern for the first time, Hazo recognized the opportunities Honor Band students can receive.
“I hope that as many of them as possible take advantage of their experience here and come to school here since they’ll be familiar with it,” said Hazo about Southeastern.  “But whether they go into music or not, at least they have the gift of music and literally a whole lifetime of potential ahead of them.  They were all wonderful, every single one.”
Following Hazo’s expectations, Rogers hopes to attend Southeastern after graduation and go on to performing full time.