Eighteen band students from LZHS participated in this year’s District 7 Illinois Music Educators Association (IMEA) festival. Judges selected ten concert band and eight jazz band students through auditions.

On November 12, LZHS choir, orchestra, and band students arrived at New Trier High School along with students from other high schools in District 7 of Illinois. The eight selected LZ jazz band students participated in a festival on November 19 at Evanston High School.

LZHS and John Hersey High School each had 39 students participating. These schools tied for first place in having the most students selected to be in the festival.

The choir, orchestra, and band groups split up upon arrival, and the ten LZ concert band students joined 130 other band students at the festival. They began rehearsal at 8am and rotated with the choir and orchestra, using the stage to practice and taking breaks.

Students performed a concert from 3:30pm to 5pm. Mike Fansler, who is the band director at Western Illinois University, was the guest conductor for the day. Fansler led the band through warm-ups and rehearsals up until the concert.

“After their auditions and being chosen, the music had been chosen by the guest conductor,” Sheri Conover, assistant band director, said.  

The band directors from the schools participating choose the guest conductors one year in advance. Guest conductors choose music for the festival that has been used with their bands or music the kids are interested in.  

“The music typically is challenging, but it has to be achievable to perform,” Conover said.

Band students receive audition music at the beginning of the year from their band directors. For their auditions, students play that music, which is usually four pieces, along with a sheet of music scales.

Students selected to be in IMEA are already at a high level of musicianship, but the festival is a good experience to play with other musicians and make new friends, Conover said.

“Besides lunch, I didn’t talk to anyone from Lake Zurich,” Parker Matzinger, senior percussion player, said.

At the festival, Matzinger met many new percussionists. This was his first year participating in the festival, but his second year auditioning.

Matzinger thought the music was challenging but about the same level of music that he plays in the LZHS Wind Ensemble. However, “the pressure to succeed was higher,” Matzinger said, because he was playing with advanced music students.

Matzinger prepared for his audition by coming in most days after school to use the school’s percussion instruments and getting help from Brett Baxter, percussion teacher.

Other students auditioning for IMEA also worked hard. Mark Schwartz, freshman clarinet player, practiced 2-3 hours a week. Schwartz was the only LZ freshman to make IMEA.

“It was good and tiring and made my mouth hurt,” Schwartz said.

Overall, students who participated found the festival to be a good experience.

“They take from it whatever they put into it,” Conover said.