Eight Carl Sandburg eighth graders were named to the Illinois Music Educators Association (ILMEA) District 7 Honor Band Festival. It was the largest number of CSMS students ever selected for this prestigious honor. They were among 126 students chosen in District 7, from a pool of 400 students who auditioned.

The students are: Arianna Yumpe, flute; Jas Kabat, tenor saxophone; Tom Popowitch, trumpet; Ruth Plohr, French horn; Hunter Pawlakon, trombone; Ben Hlousek, euphonium; Adrian Alba, tuba; and Veronica Niedbalec, tuba.

"I am so incredibly proud of these eight students for working all summer diligently to prepare for the ILMEA auditions,” said CSMS Band Director Moulee Gupta.

Students practiced during the summer and worked with Gupta on several occasions before ultimately recording an audition video, which was submitted in September.  Gupta called it a true testament to their hard work all summer and earlier this fall. 

“Whether they were guided by private lesson instructors or learned the entire packet on their own, these students persevered through challenging music, which ultimately earned them a spot in the District 7 ILMEA Honor Band.  I am extremely grateful to work with such talented and driven students every day!"

The students will perform at the District 7 Honor Band Festival on November 14 at Evanston Township High School and work with Dr. Kim Fleming from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.