West High School’s band has participated in a conference to determine who will be competing later in All East and All State. These are the students who will be attending All East:
Daniel Zheng
Dayan Hernandez
Porter Stuart
Abigail Collins
Diego Dajui Rodriguez
Dylan Moore
Sherlin Flores Hernandez
Christopher Bolling
But one of these students will be attending further than the All East and will be going to All State, and that is Chris Bolling. The director for the West High band, Mr. Jared Box proclaimed, “This is the first time in school history that we know that a member of percussion from Morristown West qualifies for All State Band.”
West High is very proud of all the students that will be going to All East, as well as Bolling. Bolling comments, “I have played in the percussion family, which means I play a wide variety of drums, mallet instruments, and auxiliary percussion instruments.” Bolling noted, “All State is yet to come, but when the performance comes to effect, it should be located in Nashville.” Bolling explains, “I have been playing the drums since the fifth grade.” Bolling then expresses, “The pieces I had to utilize and prepare for my audition are it necessarily known. They are more of a test of standards, rather than a piece of music I would plan for an audience. All of my prepared pieces are all written by somebody professional who puts in enough musical input to test the musicality, phrasing, interpretation, and musical ‘chops’, which is the musician’s field of expertise.”
Bolling then declares, “My favorite thing about the Morristown West High school band is the passion that everybody puts into playing their instrument. When I walk into the band room, I feel a sense of comfort, and joy knowing that I will be playing music that day; and that it's not only music that I like, but music I understand, and can distinguish between other pieces of music that I don't find interesting. That amount of passion is why I made all-state in the first place, because excluding the drive, or the practicing for hours on end, or even playing the music that's on the page, I had the passion to play. Anytime I wasn't working, or doing homework, or had anything that kept me buddy, I thought about my All-East music, and how I could play and master those pieces. Some of the people in our band do not put enough passion into playing their instrument, (in my opinion), and that is why they do not always perform their best, or better than others. However, if I had a choice between making all-state or just passing band class, I would much rather choose the position I am in now.” West High is extremely proud of Bolling.
