Iola High School music students are hitting the home stretch of a busy — and successful — fall campaign.
Under the tutelage of new band instructor Ranie Wahlmeier, a combined 20 IHS band, jazz band and orchestra members earned all Southeast Kansas District honors for their respective disciplines at a round of auditions Saturday in Fort Scott.
“The kids have been great,” Wahlmeier said. “I love it.”
A pair of IHS choir members, under the direction of Elizabeth Cunningham, also earned all SEK District honors: Karly McGuffin and Elaina Stiffler.
Students from Humboldt, Marmaton Valley and Yates Center also qualified.
The district jazz band will perform next Thursday, Nov. 16, at Pittsburg State University.
The orchestra, choir and concert bands will perform Dec. 12 at PSU.
All district honorees earn a right to audition for all-state honors in January in Wichita.
IOLA’S fall campaign also will include a performance for the Marching Mustangs Saturday at noon as part of the Allen County Veterans Day Parade in downtown Iola.
The Iola high school and middle school bands will perform their winter concert for the community at 6 p.m. Nov. 28 at the Bowlus fine Arts Center.
The IMS/IHS strings concert is Dec. 14 and the IMS and IHS choirs will perform Dec. 19, also at the Bowlus.
A LIST of all area Southeast District honorees follows:
High school band
Clarinet — Kassy Shelby, Erin Klubek and Adryan Nading, Iola
Bass clarinet — Katie Weide, Iola
Alto sax — Alex Price, Iola (alternate)
Trumpet — Quentin Mallette, Madi Carlin, Jon Miller and Ashton Olsten, Iola; Thane Meadows, Humboldt
Horn — Olivia Taylor, Iola; Clara Boyd, Marmaton Valley
Trombone — Ella Taylor and Shane Winner, Iola; Ty Scharff, Marmaton Valley
High School jazz band
Alto sax — Kassy Shelby, Iola
Trumpet — Quentin Mallette and Madi Carlin, Iola
High school orchestra
Violin 1 — Michael Price, Iola
Violin 2 — Rebecca Sprague and Mercedes Maple, Iola
Viola — Elka Billings, Iola
Cello — Ilennia Aguirre, Iola
High school choir
Iola — Karly McGuffin, A1; and Elaina Stiffler, S2
Marmaton Valley — Rachel Shaffer, A1
Yates Center — Julia Hodges, T1
