AMIS MS Honor Band 2013—Yangon, Myanmar

Every October the practice rooms throughout the school are full of students preparing for one of the biggest auditions in their lives.  The excitement and energy are high as the members in Symphonic Band play through their audition material, perfecting notes and rhythms, and being as creative as they can in their musicality.  Finding a balance of the two that will help set them apart from hundreds of audition tapes prepared by other students around Asia.  To be selected to this prestigious group is one of the highest honors they can achieve as a middle school student.

Once the auditions have been prepared the teachers send the tapes to London, England to be judged by a panel of professional musicians that don’t know from which schools the kids are applying.  They are looking for the best of the best on each instrument to form the Honor Band.

This year of the 96 students selected, 24 students were from ISB!  This is an amazing reflection of the importance of music education and a testimony of the hard work and dedication of the students involved.

The festival was to be hosted in a country that didn’t have a high appeal of interest to the students at first, however they knew they were going to be a part of something magical and of historical importance.

Magical it was.  To be able to visit a country after being opened to the world offers something different from Roller Coasters and glitz and glam.  To be the first visiting ensemble of its kind made history in a small country with so much potential.  24 of our students were able to be a part of this celebration showcasing their talents through an amazing performance in a historical site to an audience of over 500 people.  History was made and so was great music.  Friendships were created as well as memories that will last a lifetime.  It was definitely worth the hard work and dedication required to get into the honor band.

Congratulations to the following students: