Representing Wyo. through music

Playing an instrument is what allowed 13 Green River students to make their way across the country to perform in front of massive crowds and see national landmarks and monuments.

Members of the Green River High School band who are also members of the Wyoming All-State Marching Band recently made their way to New York and Pennsylvania.

"My students had the opportunity to play with other high-school musicians from around the state and represent the state of Wyoming on a national level," GRHS band director Quinn Kalinski said. "This opportunity was quite physically and musically demanding for them and they did fantastic," Kalinski said.

According to Kalinski, any high- school Wyoming band student can join the WASMB by completing a simple process.

He said those who were interested in joining the band needed to fill out an application form on the WASMB's website.

GRHS band member Cherylann Moritz said there wasn't even an audition process. All she had to do was get information from the director and make payments for the trip. Moritz, a junior and flute player, said the band usually forms every other year and had she known about it her freshman year she would have joined that year.

Kalinksi said during the summer, the WASMB members are required to attend a band camp and march in several Wyoming parades. These parades are a way for the band to prepare for the Philadelphia Thanksgiving Parade.

Moritz said she received the music in April or May and it was her responsibility to learn it prior to attending the camp where members from across the state got together to learn how to move as one like a marching band should.

After the summer, the band remained inactive until it was time to march in the Philadelphia Thanksgiving Parade. Over the Thanksgiving break, the WASMB members gathered and traveled to New York and Pennsylvania.

"In addition to marching in the Philadelphia Thanksgiving Parade, they were able to watch and support the other bands from various groups," Kalinski said. "They also had a chance to see a different part of the world made up of rick culture with a ton of history all around both cities."

While on the trip the to New York and Pennsylvania, the band members saw the Statue of Liberty, the 9/11 memorial and the One World Observatory. They also had the opportunity to see the Rockettes at the Radio City Auditorium and Aladdin on Broadway. In Philadelphia, the group took a double-decker bus tour around the city and saw Independence Hall and the Liberty Bell.

Moritz said the 9/11 memorial was something that stood out to her. She also enjoyed seeing the Rockettes live.

For Travis Kloepper, GRHS trumpet player, his favorite part of the trip was seeing the Statue of Liberty for the first time.

"My most memorable part was seeing all the different types of people in New York," Kloepper said. "I learned that the Eastern part of the U.S. is very different."

As for the actual marching in the Philadelphia Thanksgiving Parade, both Kloepper and Moritz said it wasn't that much different than any other parade. Moritz did notice all the cameras at the end of the one turn and the band wanted to make sure they were flawless in that part.

Kloepper said marching in the cold weather was a challenge with his trumpet because it just didn't like the cold. "I liked the entire thing. Just the experience," Moritz said.

She said she would recommend to other band members to join the WASMB because it truly is a unique experience.

"This was such an important opportunity for them because they represented the state of Wyoming in a fantastic manner and were able to create music with fellow students their age from all around the state," Kalinski said.

"Many of the students were able to make new friends from other schools and resulted in all coming together to help celebrate in a day of thanks."

"I joined the WASMB so I could represent Wyoming," Kloepper said.

"I could not be more proud of them and the rest of the WASMB," Kalinski said.

The GRHS students who join the WASMB were Tanner Adam, Nina Dodd, Brad Eveatt, Haylie Gavin, Ashlie Gold, Adeline Hoskins, Dalin Kurth, Dade Lucero, Mourgen Lenling, Alexander Shafe, Mia Worrell, Moritz and Kloepper.