Cashmere High School band members selected for WIBC honor band event

CASHMERE- The arts at Cashmere High Schools are vibrant and strong in their band, choir and drama departments. Taking its moment in the spotlight this November is the band program, out of which three students were selected to attend the Western International Band Clinic (WIBC) in SeaTac. Brooke Chalmers, Liam Hill, and Ashur Yearous were picked, an opportunity that comes with high honor. Out of the record number of auditions, the staff at WIBC sorted through thousands of entries to select the most skilled high school and college students to attend the event.

WIBC is an organization in SeaTac that hosts students from the western United States, Canada, and Australia for its annual concerts and rehearsals. Students apply in the fall with their audition material, which stretches over a variety of tasks that showcase their talent with their instrument. Students playing brass and woodwind instruments must record a video of themselves performing “three different musical selections to demonstrate their proficiency”, said Kent Chalmers, CHS band director. Each shows that the student is able to understand advanced musical techniques. 

“Once students have practiced their audition music, they record themselves playing using a handheld recorder or their phone.  I usually listen to the recordings with the student so we can figure out if anything needs to be improved before submitting the recording,” Chalmers said. As the band director and instructor of band classes, his main goal is to help students become more skilled at playing their instruments.

 For 46 years, WIBC has amassed professional composers and instructors each year in order to give the attendees the best possible experience during their time at the event. For most of their time at the event, CHS students will be at rehearsals. In the evenings they will be able to attend concerts performed by some of the top high schools and universities in the country, Chalmers said. On the final day, the students will demonstrate their proficiency by performing in a concert with their designated honor band.

“WIBC is a great event for the student musicians who are selected.  They come back to Cashmere as better performers and better leaders for our band,” Chalmers said.

More information about the WIBC Honor band event can be found at www.bandworld.org/wibc/. This event, as well as other Northwest U.S. band events, are helping CHS students learn new techniques that will continue to improve their skills and artistry in music.

Jada Wood is an intern for Ward Media and a junior (Class of 2026) at Cashmere High School.