Darlington would like to congratulate two of our band musicians for being selected for and performing in the District VII Honors Band. Girmante Zolubaite, a junior boarding student, made the flute section of the Grades 9-10 Band; and Xander Bickers, a member of our eighth-grade class, was chosen to play trumpet in the top Middle School Band at the festival. In order to be part of this, both high school and middle school students had to attend a very competitive audition in December. The musicians had to perform a page of scales, an etude, a full-range chromatic scale, and sight reading for a panel of 4 judges. District VII is a large district and our Darlington musicians are competing against students from schools of all sizes. Girmante and Xander were able to participate in the three-day event, which took place between February 5th and February 7th at Ringgold High School and Lakeview Fort-Oglethorpe High School (Ringgold, GA). Making this honors event is truly an accomplishment; one that takes time, dedication, and talent.
Girmante is one of our Assist students from Lithuania who first stepped onto Darlington’s campus this fall. She has been a tremendous addition to our Upper School band as a flute player. She has been playing flute for the past 10 years, and it has been an important part of her life since elementary school. When Girmante was 7 years old she was enrolled in a music school in Vilnius, Lithuania where she spent her evenings after regular school, and some of her weekends, attending flute, solfeggio, music history, choir, and piano lessons. This fall at Darlington, Girmante put in tremendous amounts of practice time in order to prepare for the audition, and she was able to do some of this during our iPeriod. Girmante writes that she had to avoid comparing herself to the other players who were at the audition. She met and heard numerous outstanding young flutists at the audition, and she was very pleased to be ranked among them. After finding out that she was selected, Girmante wrote, “Now I’m positive that a person should always believe in themselves because you never know what awaits you in the future.”
Girmante was eager for the Honors Band experience. “I have never participated in a band program like District Honors Band before. We lack opportunities like this in Lithuania and I am excited to try this experience here in the United States.” Girmante enjoys connecting with other students who play instruments and working on new pieces with them. She enjoys contributing her talent to an amazing group endeavor such as performing live music. In Lithuania, there are no band classes in school as they exist in the U.S., which was one reason Girmante was very excited to take Upper School Band.
Outside of Band, Girmante has spent quite a bit of time in the black box theatre this year working with our drama productions. This is a new interest of hers, and she enjoyed learning about the craft of acting in our fall play, Antigone. In this production, she appeared as a chorus member and the blind prophet Teiresias. She is also a cast member of our current Winter Musical, Hadestown. Additionally, Girmante helps with DarFarm and started our Chicken Bucket initiative to limit the food waste in the dining hall during the lunch break.
Girmante enjoys all of her classes at Darlington, but science is probably her favorite subject and AP Biology is her favorite class. Girmante writes, “At the beginning of the school year I was surprised by how passionate the teachers here are about their subjects and inside Mr. Hudson's classroom you can easily tell about his passion for teaching.” Girmante currently aspires to study molecular and cellular biology. She looks forward to becoming a scientist someday, and she is particularly fascinated by the fields of biochemistry and genetics. As her Band Director, my favorite part about Girmante’s musicianship is how expressive she is in her playing. She has a strong musical sensitivity, and you can tell she has spent time around other musicians who also want to be their best. We are extremely glad to have her in the Upper School Band!
Xander Bickers is a fantastic leader in our Middle School Band program. Last year, Xander auditioned for District Honors Band and was selected for the lower Middle School group. This was still quite an accomplishment because very few 7th Grade students make the Middle School festival. This year, Xander returned to the auditions and made the top Middle School group, and I believe he may be our first Darlington Band member to ever have made the top ensemble. When Xander auditioned in December, he was in line with many, many young trumpet players from the area, and the high score he achieved from the judges is exceptional.
Xander began playing trumpet in the Fifth Grade at Armuchee Middle School and then joined Darlington in the Sixth Grade. Since then he has contributed greatly to our band program. He has participated in Middle School Jazz Band, Concert Band, and even our Stadium Band. He has often acted as a sectional leader, and this year, Xander is the Vice President of our Middle School Band. He is quick to help in rehearsals and he genuinely wants our Middle School groups to sound their best. Xander also plays euphonium for us in the Concert Band when we need him to.
As Xander prepared for the audition in the fall, he focused on improving his tone. He was motivated to be part of this Honors Event, because he enjoyed working with the guest conductor last year. Xander says that he really loves being part of the bands at Darlington, but he is also a capable athlete. He has been a member of several Middle School teams including football, basketball, and track. Xander represented us well last week in Ringgold as he played in an absolutely incredible group composed of high-level middle school players. As his band director, I am very thankful for Xander. He has brought a strong enthusiasm to our Middle School Band program, and he is always excited to try new parts and new solos. He has a genuine interest in playing trumpet and helping those around him get better.
I am very proud of all our band students who auditioned for this District-level honors event. It takes time and preparation in order to be ready. Playing an instrument in front of a panel of judges can be intimidating but it builds a type of confidence that will serve our students well in the future. I’m glad that we can offer this opportunity for band members who are interested in going the extra mile.
