The GHHS Band is one of the most committed groups at our school, with each student having their own unique relationship to music, and the majority considering music a crucial component of their futures. On April 26th-27th, the GHHS band partook in band state competitions at Central Washington University. Over the course of the day, students participated in competitions where they were scored by judges—with 1 representing the highest score—and observed by peers. Student James McCourt (12) was one of two GHHS students who placed in the state’s top three. “I got second place in the state for the soprano clarinet solo category, and they only rank the top three, and so if you get all ones, then you have a chance to place in the top three, and so I received all ones, and I got second place [overall].” McCourt said. McCourt’s performance of his solo piece earned him a state qualification at the February regionals event, a piece he chose himself in January to begin showcasing. “I chose the piece ‘Monologue #3’ by Erland von Koch, and I picked it because it was something different, a different style of music that’s not really seen at the competition, so I took a chance and thought maybe I could win with this or do well with it,” said McCourt. The day was a success for McCourt, both with judges commenting on his ‘natural musicality’ and the enjoyment he derived not only from playing his own piece but also from listening to others. “My favorite part of it was, I honestly think, seeing other people perform, seeing my friends perform, supporting them. That’s always fun because you don’t have to think about performing. You just go and watch it; you run around everywhere to catch all the performances,” he described. After 2025 graduation, McCourt plans on studying music in college and pursuing a musical career.

Finn DeGroot (11) was another Band finalist and participated in the precision small solo and ensemble events where he played Bach’s Inventions #4 and #5 on marimba with fellow percussionist Noah Broadbent (11). The pair’s performance of #4 at Regionals earned them a place at State, where they then won with the 5th invention. DeGroot explained that they chose the pieces because they were fun to play and that his partnership with Broadbent was due to their friendship. The process of preparation was the most challenging part of the experience for DeGroot, and he expressed the amount of work required of him. “All the hours practicing, as well as practicing for Les Mis, I had to juggle both in the same week, and I was practicing 12 hours a day for a week.” The hard work proved worth it when DeGroot and Broadbent got to rest assured in their state placement. DeGroot expressed that his favorite part of State was after his performances. “I thought it was really kind of relieving. It’s finally done. And also, I thought I did really good.” The day was an overall success for GHHS, where talented students prepared for the professional musician world, celebrating their peers’ successes along the way.