Eight The University of Olivet students have been named to the 2019 Michigan Intercollegiate Honor Band (MIHB). The MIHB, which has been in existence for over 40 years, offers outstanding young musicians from 10 small and mid-sized Michigan colleges and universities the opportunity to participate in a day of rehearsals, culminating in an evening concert. This year’s guest conductor is Dennis Glocke, director of concert bands at Penn State University.
The following students were selected for the band based on nominations from Jeremy Duby, The University of Olivet director of bands: senior Samantha Lewis, piccolo; junior Hannah Haugsby, flute; sophomore Makennah Rousseau, clarinet; sophomore Tori John, baritone saxophone; junior Emma Schut, horn; junior Abigale Smith, trumpet; freshman Victoria Herson, euphonium; and sophomore Jon Johnson, percussion.
“The Intercollegiate Honor Band is a great opportunity to share talents with other musicians from similar programs and grow as artists,” Director Duby said. “I am proud to have students selected to represent The University of Olivet in this medium, and I know that they will bring back a vast knowledge to share with their peers.”
The MIHB offers students the opportunity to learn and grow both musically and personally. Each student has a unique perspective on this upcoming experience.
Hannah Haugsby sees the Honor Band as an opportunity to hone her musical expertise while also fostering new relationships.
“As a music major, this will be a great opportunity for me to not only expand my performance skills, but it will also provide me with new experiences with a different ensemble and a different conductor,” Hannah said. “I’m looking forward to going to a place that I haven’t been to yet, joining a program for the first time and meeting new faces along the way. To be able to perform in general is an enjoyment in itself, but to be able to have the chance to expand my musical knowledge is even better.”
Makennah Rousseau looks forward to meeting new people from other colleges.
“I love getting to meet new people when participating in honors bands,” Makennah said. “I enjoy talking to the people seated around me and learning where they go to college, their major, their hobbies and their musical background. It’s always a good time to bond with the other Olivet students as well. We tend to learn a lot about each other we might not have known before.”
Victoria Herson agrees that relationship building is an important piece of creating music.
“I look forward to getting to know other college musicians who care about music and band as much as I do,” Victoria Herson said. “I cannot wait to meet other musicians who share the same musical vision I do even if they attend a different college. Creating music in band is about the people you perform a piece of music with and every ensemble, person and conductor can affect how inspiring and rewarding the process of creating music is.”
Tori John also believes that the relationships with their colleagues positively influence their musicianship.
“We all come from different programs, and yet, by the end of the day, we are able to create a powerful performance — as if we had been playing together for years,” Tori said.
At the end of the day, the Honor Band is an unforgettable experience invaluable to the musicians’ personal and professional growth.
“The Honor Band is a new opportunity to rediscover why I became a musician,” Tori said. “It serves as a reminder that all of the hard work is important and is worth every second spent in the practice rooms.”
The Honor Band will be hosted at Albion College in Albion, Michigan, on Feb. 2, closing with a concert at 7 p.m.
For more information about the Intercollegiate Honor Band, contact Director Duby at 269.749.7158 or jduby@uolivet.edu. To learn more about opportunities for students interested in music — both academically or as an extracurricular — contact the Office of Admissions at 800.456.7189 or admissions@uolivet.edu.