Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...

By NOAH WORTHAM | Managing Editor

ALABASTER – The Thompson High School Wind Ensemble has been selected once again to perform at the Alabama Music Educators Association Conference which will take place in January 2025.

The THS Wind Ensemble will perform at the AMEA Conference at the BJCC Theatre in Birmingham on Thursday, Jan. 24, 2025 at 8:20 p.m.

“When I got to announce to the kids that we got accepted again, they were beyond happy,” said Graham Bennett, director of bands at THS. “That was one of those things where my heart just sang—knowing how hard they worked last year and they get the opportunity to do it again this year in front of all the band directors in Birmingham at the BJCC.”

The THS Wind Ensemble was selected last year to perform at the 2024 AMEA Conference which was planned for Jan. 18 in Huntsville. However, due to bad weather and no way to reschedule the conference was cancelled which led to the band holding its own showcase at Thompson High School alongside Pinson Valley High School on Jan. 23.

Now, after receiving the honor of being selected gain, the event stands as a “thank you note” for members of the ensemble from the graduating class of 2024.

“There’s also kind of that part of me that’s sad inside because the senior class last year graduated (and) they did such an incredible job as well as everybody else that’s still with us, in preparing for that concert and we didn’t get to do it,” Bennett said. “It’s kind of a thank you note to them because they helped us get readmitted to it again.”

Each year, only a limited number of schools and program are selected to perform at the conference which will have music educators from across the state present.

“What’s so special is that our school system, Alabaster City Schools, gets to represent one of the night performances on the first Thursday,” Bennett said. “We’re basically the opening night act for the conference which, when I say (it’s) a blessing, it’s an understatement.”

Bennet also shared that the students are excited about performing and highlighted how special of an opportunity the conference is for them.

“This is one of those things that, for most of these students, is truly (a) once in a lifetime (opportunity),” Bennett said. “It is a very, very small percentage of students in the entire state of Alabama that get this opportunity.”

Bennett is already planning the ensemble’s show for the conference which he said will end with a special performance of “Rhapsody in Blue” by George Gershwin and feature Jacksonville State University’s Assistant Professor of Piano Dr. Rachel Park.

“We’re excited to work with Ms. Park from JSU on this number,” Bennett said. “And then we’ve got several other, quick-paced, high energy pieces and a couple of beautiful slow pieces that’ll just really represent our students and our school well.”

Bennett expressed his gratitude to those who helped make it possible for the band to participate in events like the AMEA Conference.

“I always love to say, ‘thank you,’ to our school board, our superintendents, and to our administration for helping us put these things together,” Bennett said.

The THS Wind Ensemble is comprised of around 48 students with complete woodwind, brass and percussion sections. Auditions for the current ensemble were held in May. According to Bennett, the Wind Ensemble is very rigorous and highly competitive for those who are selected to join its ranks.

“We’ve picked a lot of literature that we’re working through right now that’s going to feature and show off every single section at some point or another during the performances,” Bennett said.