On February 8, members of the Paoli band traveled to Jasper for their annual Solo and Ensemble Festival. Over 30 events were performed by Paoli soloists and ensembles at the festival. To qualify for State Solo and Ensemble, musicians had to earn a gold rating on a group one performance, which means the judge they performed their most advanced piece for had to give them a gold rating. Over 25 members of the band qualified.

“Most of our students are really well prepared this year. If they can all raise the level on their performance just a bit – they will be successful. One of the things I always speak about is the fact that all 1800 events at State received a Gold somewhere in order to qualify. So the “bar” is raised a bit on just how good a performance needs to be in order to receive a Gold at the State Level,” said Band Director Bill Laughlin.

State Solo and Ensemble will be held at North Central High School on February 29.

“I’m very excited for so many of our students to be able to compete at the state level. It’s an honor for me to be able to help them strive for excellence on their instruments and in life. The sheer number of Paoli students heading to State points to the impressive tradition of high-level music making that’s been going on for years here at Paoli. I wish everyone the best of luck,” said Band Director Matthew Crozier.

After Solo and Ensemble every year, the band puts on a recital or “showcase” for any community members who would like to watch the state qualifiers’ performances. This showcase will be held on February 27 in the PHS auditorium at 7 p.m.

“We are excited to have so many of our Paoli students at the State Level of performance. They have earned this through many hours of practice and dedication to the instrumental music program. One of the best advantages of being involved in the Solo/Ensemble program is the opportunity for the individual students to ‘shine’,” said Laughlin.