Klubek’s academics stay in tune

For this is music’s inner voice

Saying yes we hear you

All you who cry aloud

And we will fly, answering you

So our lives sing

We will fly

Wild in spirit we will fly

— Flight Song

Erin Klubek hasn’t cried yet while singing those lyrics. But she thinks she might get a little teary-eyed when she takes the stage at today’s Iola High School graduation ceremony, where she and fellow classmates will sing the song.

“Flight Song” reassures Erin. And she knows as she heads to MidAmerica Nazarene University to study music, the verses will come in handy.

“It really communicates how life is going to be later. Just soar through it and it’s going to be OK,” she said.

Music surrounds Erin’s life. It’s been part of her family history. She and her mother, Natalie, play the clarinet. Her father, Kelly, and her older sister, Emily, play the trumpet. Emily plays in the band at Pittsburg State University. All four family members participate in the Iola Municipal Band.

Melodies compose her earliest memories. Erin remembers the soothing sound of her mother’s voice, singing religious hymns to lull her to sleep when she was a young child. “There’s Something About That Name” was one of her favorites, but, she says, “there’s so many” songs that strike an emotional cord.

Though Erin has a long list of accomplishments in band — she participated in district band all four years and state band last year — she prefers to sing.

“While I’m singing, I feel wonderful,” she said. “The most amazing thing is when I perform, I can communicate through the music.”

ERIN GRADUATES

today as one of 10 valedictorians with IHS’s Class of 2018, which means she earned a perfect 4.0 GPA throughout high school. It’s a goal she’s been working on since middle school.

She understands it’s important to challenge herself.

“If I set my eyes on something and get it done, then I know I can do almost anything,” she said. “Start with a small goal and work from there. It builds character and makes me a better person.”

She considers herself an introvert. Coming out of her shell wasn’t easy. She forced herself into uncomfortable situations like auditioning for both district band and choir. During district choir auditions, she sang “Flight Song.”

“I just told myself, ‘You have to do it. You can do it.’”

Music helped her develop important leadership skills. As a junior and senior, Erin served as a drum major for the high school band. As she had done with her academic goals, Erin embraced the challenge.

“I had to get out there and talk to people, and be in front of a whole crowd of people and give them instructions and wave my arms at them, kind of like a conductor,” she said and laughed. “It feels like you’re just waving your arms sometimes. But it’s kind of a stressful job.”

It’s important to make a musical performance look easy, she noted. Most don’t realize the preparation it takes to pull off a seemingly effortless performance.

“We put in so much work getting it performance ready and making sure the audience will have a good concert and feel what the song is supposed to mean,” she said.