On Saturday, February 8, Gibson Southern band members each performed a solo at this year’s Solo and Ensemble, with the event being an annual tradition
Solo and Ensemble is an annual event hosted by ISSMA, which is the Indiana State School Music Association. It is where students can work on a solo and perform by themselves, or an ensemble, which is anything that is a trio or more. There are trios, quartets, quintets, sextets, all the way to big brass and woodwind choirs, which can be up to about 20 people.
This year, every eligible pep band student from Gibson Southern performed a solo. Mr. Winstead encourages everyone to perform.
“I require band students to go,” Winstead said. “I know standing up in front of a judge can be nerve-wracking, but if I didn’t require it, not everybody would do it. It’s honesty makes us as good as we are.”
Every year, the Gibson Southern band goes to the AIS Diamond Campus in Evansville and joins many other schools in performing.
“There are about 20 judges and a new performance every five minutes,” Winstead said. “It’s insane, there are a lot of kids.”
Because Solo and Ensemble is an annual event, it can get repetitive. Winstead tries to shake it up for the students in band every year.
“We rotate years to keep it interesting,” Winstead said. “This year, every kid did a solo. Next year, we will do ensembles, which will be multiple kids playing a piece together.”
This year, with almost 40 students entered, 30 came home with gold, and nine with silver. Gold winners are: Abigail Hicks, Ainsley Epperson, Avery Lemming, Claire Cox, Justin Leary, Allison Hale, Danielle Young, Emma Greene, Macy Beard, Aubree Miller, Chloe Coburn, Tristan Coburn, Alli Chamberlain, Mackenzie Estep, Zach Winget, River Epperson, Charity Baylor, Alexis Garris, Evan Schleter, Emilie Vanover, Lily Evetts, Anna Folsom, Caleb Douglas, Bronson Ivy, Hannah Hasselbrinck, Kennedy Beghtel, Bailey Watson, Kyle Stunkel, Brayden Pegram and Elias Morgan.