DIS musicians traveled to Chadwick International School to participate in the Korea International Music Educators Association (KIMEA) National Honor Festival on Jan. 24 and Jan. 25. Bringing together top student musicians from across the country, the festival serves as a rare opportunity for high schoolers to collaborate beyond school concerts.
Despite the rigorous audition process, which includes difficult scales and études, hundreds of musicians apply for a spot in the honor band. Band director at Seoul Foreign School Sophie Holbrook said, “You have to audition to get in, so it’s the best of the best musicians from every school, and it’s the only time they come together to meet.”
For many, the preparation began long before the school year started. “I really wanted to get in this year, and because of that I tried to practice regularly for a long period of time because the honor band audition materials were released before summer break. It’s really important to start slow and then find those intricate details in the music and what the writer of the music was trying to represent with the notes,” 16th chair clarinet sophomore Yujun Piao said.
Alongside Piao, DIS set a new record with 12 out of 14 honor band auditionees earning a spot in the ensemble. This year, the high acceptance rate came with a twist—the horn, euphonium and trombone sections required an additional round due to a lack of initial applicants. Three of the selected musicians joined through this second audition. “Even if some students were last-minute additions because they didn’t get enough, […] it still shows that you have students who are interested in that kind of experience,” secondary music teacher Mr. Hutchings said.
Each year, KIMEA invites a guest conductor with a unique story to share. This year was no exception, as Ignatius Wang, the director of the Singapore Armed Forces Central Band, took the baton. “With young talented students like in KIMEA, it’s not so much about the performance. It’s about what you are going to gain out from this. […] Music is not just about music itself. It’s really about life and the lessons that they gain from music is going to help. It’s going to help them become better people. So that’s what I hope for,” Wang said.
For students, Wang’s catchphrases and unique rehearsal style left a lasting impression. “It was especially memorable how he didn’t treat the music just as like notes. […] He actually, in some parts, really didn’t care about what was written in the music. He was like, ‘oh, just follow me and trust me, and we’ll make this music together.’ That was really memorable for me because it broke my perception that you have to play what’s written on the music,” Piao said.
After two days filled with hours of rehearsals, performers stepped on stage for their grand finale. The National Honor Choir opened the festival, followed by the National Honor Orchestra and the National Honor Band. “I think we perfectly, what he was trying to express. […] I think we really did what he was trying to make us do,” Piao said.
For many high school performers, KIMEA is a rare opportunity to push their musical limits and experience an elevated level of artistry. “I love this event. […] For me personally, I like doing it because it’s like these two days are the present that you get after all the hard work. So it’s always fulfilling,” Holbrook said.
Check out this year’s honor band performance here: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1PzFqOlF9Dx-QVjIP1jvU6uuJAuciWPhu/view
