Ten Liberty Students Make SEIBA Honor Band

Ten students from Liberty made the Southeast Iowa Bandmasters Association.

On Saturday, Jan. 25, Liberty Band Students auditioned for the Southeast Iowa Bandmasters Association (SEIBA). SEIBA is an all-district honor band. Ten students from Liberty made the band. 

Just auditioning for the band takes weeks of preparation and is very rigorous. Auditioning students must prepare two etudes, a solo, and memorize thirteen scales. Each participant is judged on things such as tone, dynamics, and rhythm. Students then must face recalls or a long wait until results are posted. 

You go up against anyone that goes to a school that is within this association, and they cannot have gotten into the All-State Concert Band. So you audition your pieces and hope for the best,” said Killian Ritland, sophomore. 

After recalls, three Liberty students, Megan Uden, senior, Ritland, and Tyson Baker, sophomore, received results that they had been honored with getting first chair. This means that the judges believe these individuals are the best to lead their instruments section.

Each not only played their instrument for the SEIBA honor band, but they also got the chance to perform solos within the songs. 

“I was so happy to achieve first chair! Especially since I was an alternate for All-State and didn’t get to go perform with that band,” said Uden. 

All ten liberty students performed at Iowa City West on Wednesday, Feb. 5 at 6:30 p.m.. Prior to the performance, the SEIBA Honor Band rehearsed for a total of five hours. They worked on three songs; All The Pretty Little Horse, Marche Honogrosie, and Summer Dances. 

“I enjoyed the process because everyone in the band is dedicated and you get a lot done in the short amount of time,” said Uden.

 

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