In the last scenes of the musical The Music Man, as the boys’ band haltingly plays its song, all the parents are calling out “that’s my boy.” The pride and pleasure are evident on their faces and in their voices, despite the quality (or lack thereof) of the music being played. On Saturday, April 19, 2008, at the Hershey Theatre, my heart was bursting with pride as I watched and listened to the All-State Wind Ensemble. There sat “my boy” playing very difficult musical pieces with confidence and skill. I was all the more impressed since they had learned to play one of the selections after just two days of practice. 

Caleb Evans is “my boy,” a senior at Cowanesque Valley High School in Westfield, Pennsylvania. It has been over 35 years since the player of an instrument from Cowanesque Valley attended the State Music Festival. Caleb joined three other alto saxophones in the Wind Ensemble and was one of only 12 alto saxophones chosen in the entire state to participate in State Wind Ensemble or State Band. To say his family is proud of him is a bit of an understatement. 

The road to the State Festival is a long and a short one. To be able to participate in the State Festival, a musician must first make District Band. For the alto saxophone this year, that meant placing in the top eight out of about 30 musicians from nine counties. At District Band, auditions were held for Regional Band, where an alto sax player had to place first or second in his part to qualify. Regional Band is made up of two districts composed of 14 counties. Those successful at making Regional Band again auditioned, and this time only the top player in each part moved on to the State Festival, where they were randomly assigned to either the Wind Ensemble or the Band.

That’s the long part, but, except for District tryouts, the musicians have about six weeks to prepare for each festival. That’s the short part, as the music becomes increasingly difficult at each level. We heard a lot of saxophone this winter, and for those of you who have children just starting an instrument and practice time isn’t always pleasant, don’t worry, it gets better and even becomes enjoyable. I have three musicians in my house, and I’ve long since put away the ear plugs.
To be a State musician takes skill and a lot of practice. Tioga County had four students participate: Ben Delong, Wellsboro, trombone, Band; Caleb Evans, Cowanesque Valley,  alto saxophone, Wind Ensemble; Evangeline Krajewski, Liberty, flute, Band; and Nathan Murphy, Wellsboro, Bass II, Chorus. Not bad at all for a little county like ours.

Caleb said he really enjoyed the experience—getting to travel, meeting other very dedicated musicians and conductors, and playing some great music. The rest of our family also relished the experience. Luckily, this will continue for all of us.

Caleb is entering Mansfield University in the fall as a music education major. Who knows, someday he may be escorting someone you know to the State Music Festival, or even be the guest conductor or composer. Just as the parents in “The Music Man” imagined great things for their boys, so do I. I don’t know where the road will lead, I just know I’ve been glad to be along for the ride, and I can’t wait to see where it takes us next.