EPCHS students selected to play in all state band, chorus

These days, East Peoria Community High School is pitch perfect.

In January, two of its students were selected to play in the Illinois Music Educators Association All-State Band and Chorus. The honor went to Patrick McGehee and Kyle Deets.

McGehee will play his trombone in the All-State Band, and Deets will sing in the All-State Chorus. 
Both boys are 17-year-olds and seemed pretty grounded despite this heady success.

“I never realized that I had a good voice,” said Deets. “I was pretty surprised when I won but am very excited. Maybe I could sing for Illinois State some day.” 

Their tryst with music began when they were in fifth grade.

“I wanted to play in the band,” said McGehee. “All my friends were doing it, and I thought it would be a cool thing to do.”

So, he began playing around with a trombone that once belonged to his dad. Senior McGehee played trombone when he was in school and Patrick has taken up where he left off. Deets received his initial exposure to music through his uncles.

They kicked rhythm up a notch or two on the drums and introduced him to jazz. He started out with the saxophone and pushed that lung power further into vocals this year.

“I took the class, as many of my friends were doing it,” he said. “I wanted to try something new. Mr Driscoll was my teacher, and it was he who suggested that I should try out for the IMEA chorus. So, I practiced the scales, triads and pieces and that’s how it happened.”

While the treble clef and bass clef connect both boys, their interests are varied. Deets is in love with jazz, Charlie Parker being his role model. 

McGehee is attuned to symphonic music, and has a special love for Samuel Hazel, Johann Sebastian Bach and Mozart.

So, what has the experience with the band taught them?

“I have learned that playing in a band requires 100 percent effort from every member,” McGehee said. “If you give less, the end outcome will be that much less perfect. It’s also taught me team spirit. We all have to work together for that final product.”

Deets agreed. 

“We all have to work together for the final outcome,” he said. “No one has a small part in team work. I have also learned to appreciate the importance of working hard.”

So, where is music going to take them? McGehee is headed to Bradley University to pursue a degree in mechanical engineering.

“I would also like to play in the band at Bradley,” he said. Deets wants to major in business and finance.

Both Deets and McGehee have a guide in Adam Schneblin, the director for the EPCHS band. He is also the instrumental music director at First United Methodist Church in Peoria. A former student of EPCHS, and a graduate from the University of Illinois, he is a musician who decided to give up his initial ambition of being a marine biologist to pursue a career with the baton. Today, he is responsible for a 100-member student band, which has a hectic schedule.

“We play during the marching season,” he said, “that’s August to October. We also have concerts in December, February and May.”

Practice is usually at the school, and they meet every day. Schneblin selects the repertoire for the students.

“I take their aptitude and ability into account,” he said, “but I also make sure that they get something that will challenge them.”

IMEA is the state-level affiliate of the MENC: The National Association of Music Education. It seeks to promote lifelong music learning. Students have to audition to perform in an IMEA ensemble (band, chorus, orchestra, jazz band or vocal jazz ensemble) within one of nine districts.

Based on this audition, high school students may be invited to participate in the annual state conference. To be eligible, student musicians need to be active members of, and in good standing with, their school band.

Both McGehee and Deets first auditioned for IMEA District Band and Chorus and were accepted through their auditions to perform in that group in November.

They have also been accepted to the All-State band.