Our Upper School Band applauds Will Bowerman for making this year’s District VII High School Honors Jazz Band. A sophomore day student who has been playing trumpet in Darlington’s band program since fourth grade, he is the first Darlington band member to make this honors band at the high school level. This prestigious accomplishment is part of the Georgia All-State Jazz Ensemble process.
In order to make the festival, Will traveled to Villa Rica High School on the evening of Oct. 2 and auditioned in front of two panels of judges. To be successful at the auditions, he had to memorize a page of scales in various modes, play a jazz etude, and also sight-read multiple jazz melodies. Will was able to do all of this and earn high scores in the process. He was able to win one of the 11 trumpet seats at this festival as a sophomore.
Will will participate in the District Honors Jazz Band Nov. 18-19 at Heritage High School, where he will work with other talented high school musicians who have excelled in jazz music. The groups will work with guest conductors, and, after only a day-and-a-half of rehearsal, will present a jazz concert on Tuesday night. District VII is one of the largest and most competitive GMEA districts in Georgia, especially for jazz. There are no small or large school divisions in the state-level honors band, and every other student who will join Will at this year’s District VII Honors Jazz Band is from a large band program.
Although Will began playing trumpet at his earliest opportunity – the fourth grade – and has been dedicated to the band, he also works hard in many other activities at our school. He is competitive on the swim/dive team and is also competitive in tennis, playing varsity tennis, Tennis Academy, and traveling to tournaments and tennis camps. Will has also been on our cross country roster, he plays in the Chess Club, and he volunteers with ESP (Extra Special People). Academically, he is very interested in science and has especially enjoyed his Biology and Chemistry classes at Darlington.
Will has participated in every opportunity the band program can offer. He has taken trumpet lessons regularly and has taken part in other honors band opportunities. While at Thatcher Hall, Will played in both the Middle School Concert Band and Middle School Jazz Band for all three years (grades 6-8) and was accepted into the District VII Jazz Honors Band at the middle school level for two years. Will is currently a key member of the Stadium Band and our overall trumpet section in the Upper School Band. You can find Will in the Darlington Brass group during special chapel events, and he has played with that group since the eighth grade. In all of this, he has overcome the physical challenges that come with playing the trumpet, and he has persevered. This is not Will’s first audition, and I’m proud of him for doing the hard things to improve as a musician.
Will began playing trumpet because he looks up to his older brother, who played trumpet in several high school honors bands. “I aspire to be like him,” said Will.
I was particularly impressed with Will this past summer when he combined his passion for music and for serving others. He organized a group of his fellow Upper School Band members to perform at the ESP summer camp during one of the days it was held here in Rome. He organized the group and rehearsed them several times before delivering this treat to the ESP participants. Will has enjoyed leadership positions in both Middle School and Upper School Band, and I’m glad to see him developing his leadership skills in this program.
In thinking about the festival, Will is most excited to be part of a high-level ensemble. He looks forward to hearing the difference between this and the middle school version of the festival. He notes that the audition took practice, some of which he was able to do during an iPeriod offering. Will has taken a particular interest in jazz as a high school band member, and I know this event will be the perfect next step for him.
I would like to note how proud I am of Will and how impressed I am with his accomplishment. It is not easy to take an audition and to perform in front of judges. I always applaud our singers and instrumentalists when I hear of them taking on this challenge and reaching for the next level as musicians. It’s been a blessing to watch Will grow and progress as a trumpet player, and I’m thrilled to have him represent Darlington and our band program at this year’s District VII High School Jazz Honors Band festival.
