The North Hills High School Low Brass Ensemble was chosen from more than 70 applicants to be a featured performer at the 2024 Pennsylvania Music Educators Association (PMEA) In-Service Conference later this spring in Erie.
For a high school ensemble, the honor is the highest achievable for schools in Pennsylvania and equivalent to winning a state sports championship.
A school is only eligible to perform at PMEA's annual conference every two years. In the last decade, North Hills has been selected every year it has been eligible making this the fifth appearance since 2014. Opposite years, North Hills performed at the National Association for Music Education All-East Convention with the exception of 2020 and 2021 when band festivals were canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Low Brass Ensemble is made up of 18 student-musicians in grades 9-12 from the high school's Wind Ensemble and Wind Symphony. They include:
Trombone
- Aidan Allen, 9
- Sydney Burkhardt, 12
- Lukas Clement, 12
- Chris Gieder, 10
- Josh Kim, 12
- Caleb Johnson, 9
- Cole Johnston, 12
- Laura Sibomana, 12
- Nick Strother, 12
Euphonium
- Jill Miller, 11
- Landon Schmidt, 11
Tuba
- Ty Carroll, 12
- Chloe Johnson, 11
- Hayden Hackimer, 11
- Ryan Mullen, 12
- Elaina Seuffert, 11
- Jadyn Stillwagon, 12
Percussion
"We are very proud of our students," said Len Lavelle, Director of Bands and Music Department Curriculum Leader at North Hills. "They are doing special things by choosing to grow together each day. It is an awesome place to be."
Their PMEA performance will include new music written for low brass and traditional works transcribed for low brass as well as contemporary rock music from the likes of Kansas and Adele.
The annual PMEA conference will be held at the Bayfront Convention Center in Erie April 17-20, 2024. North Hills was chosen to be the featured performer at the general session on Friday afternoon, April 19. They will also perform a concert in the convention center lobby earlier in the afternoon.