“That first breath,” says Kaity Adkins, “isn’t for the audience. It’s for you and for the people you are connecting with in the band.” She would know how best to begin a concert. Currently attending Rogers High School, Adkins plays five instruments in four different bands and recently won the Puyallup Valley Community Band Scholarship. She started practicing… Read more
scholarship
Jennifer Rhee begged her parents for years to let her play the flute. She’d seen someone play at a wedding when she was seven and knew the melodic instrument was for her. Only when she turned nine could her fingers reach the keys so she could begin to study. But ever since that beginning, she’s… Read more
“Band Director Conducts Daughter in Solo Scholarship Performance” Eighteen-year-old Mikaela Rink has a secret to her clarinet success. “It’s like living with a human metronome.” Rink said, referring to her father and the clicking timekeepers musicians use to keep rhythm. Bob Rink often passes by her door as she practices at home, telling her if… Read more
Special Note: This is a piece I wrote for the Puyallup Valley Community Band, a group I rehearse and perform with throughout the year. It’s a wonder to me that music can mean so much to so many at all ages. For Katriel Looney, reeds are the biggest problem with playing the clarinet. It’s a constant… Read more