On February 24 Seymour High School Students packed up their instrument cases once again to go to Solo and Ensemble, but this time they headed to North Central High School in Indianapolis for the state competition. Around 28 students got gold at District Solo and Ensemble and passed on to state that was held in Indianapolis.

Some band students participated in the competition solo so they could focus their efforts and perfect their excerpt for the district and state competitions. However, some students performed solo and in an ensemble. Seniors Josiah Massengale and Dustin Morris are among those students, performing in a trio and a quintet together along with other students. They also performed their own solos. Massengale performing one on trombone and on euphonium while Morris performed on his trombone.

Band director Kevin Cottrill said that the highest number of individual golds earned at state previously had been three. Many have attempted to get four golds at state but have only gotten three. Massengale participated in four events, but as Cottrill said, only got three golds. Junior Janet Taguchi performed in three events this year and got golds on all of them, the record remaining at three gold medals. Taguchi participated in a solo and in two trios, one of which with Ben Murphy and Jacob Zike and the other with Evan Baurle and Ammon Christensen. Like all the other state students, they performed their music at the Pops Concert held at Seymour High School on February 22.

Taguchi got the highest score at the district competition, along with Shosei Ando, but she felt like she “kinda didn’t deserve it.” Her winning a gold medal surprised her, but she continued to work hard on her solo over the month between district and state. Taguchi feels like her music abilities have improved over the Solo and Ensemble events.
“In terms of my solo I feel I played better at state then the district.”

She has been participating in Solo and Ensemble since she was a freshman and plans to continue participating in the events.