ASHLAND — The Ashland High concert band saw the baton passed at its final concert in more ways than one.
There was the literal baton that composer Tyler Arcari — who was commissioned to write a piece for the band’s final 100-year anniversary performance — passed to senior Kayla Selan at the end of the concert band’s last concert.
There’s the metaphorical baton seniors like Selan pass down to younger peers each spring as they graduate.
And this year, the baton was passed from the first 100 years of the band’s existence to the next 100.
The centennial year was marked, for Selan, by special guests coming to play with the band.
Throughout the year, the bands have played with several alums, performed with special guests and played specially-commissioned pieces to celebrate the anniversary.
But as Selan, her peers and her instructors reflect on a year full of celebrations and special opportunities, they’re also looking forward to maintaining momentum and moving the band forward into the future.
“I wouldn’t have asked for anything different,” Selan said. “If I had to relive it again, I wouldn’t want anything changed. It has all been the way that it was meant to be, and I have no regrets whatsoever.”
A year to remember
Perry Kral has always felt encouraged to be musical. It came with the territory with his dad, Martin Kral, acting as Ashland High’s director of bands.
But for Perry Kral, who’s going to The Ohio State University to study jazz bass next year, music became something he enjoyed during his years at Ashland High.
“I can’t really see myself going in another direction,” the senior said.
Throughout the band program’s centennial year, Perry said having the opportunity to learn from so many different musicians was a highlight.
Tiffany Sanders, the program coordinator for Ashland High audio and visual performing arts, said working with different mentors was meaningful for all the students. In her experience as both an educator and a parent, she knows the importance of children having adults in their lives to look up to.
The centennial year brought in several musicians from across the industry, with some of them years in the making.
“One of the great things was that, because we were so intentional, we had lots of guests who had different impacts on students than just the normal voices they hear,” Sanders said.
That counted for Perry Kral. It also counted for his classmate, Selan.
Selan, like Perry Kral, will attend college with the hope of continuing her musical career. Specifically, Selan aims to become a conductor, and heads to Cleveland State University to take her next steps in the fall.
For Selan too, working with several different mentors served as one of the most important parts of her band experience. It was a special highlight to have so many chances for that during the centennial year, Selan said.
She said she took advantage of all the opportunities the Ashland High band program offered, from networking with alumni to working with Ashland Symphony Orchestra director Michael Repper.
Building up the next band generation
In Selan’s opinion, those experiences equipped her with confidence in her conducting abilities. Having that confidence is important, in Selan’s opinion.
She hopes the legacy she leaves behind — and that hopefully carries on for the band’s next 100 years — is that same lesson she learned.
Selan has already had opportunities to pass it down, too.
Martin Kral, the director of bands, gave Selan the opportunity to conduct a piece for the concert band on her own at the year’s final concert. It was a piece composed by Arcari, who also composed a special piece for the band’s 100th year. He got to attend to conduct the band that played his piece.
But, he also took time to give Selan some tips on the music. He even brought a special baton and passed it to Selan during the concert.
Selan imparted her own lessons to the concert band too. She took part of the time she spent working on the piece to have an honest conversation with the underclassmen who comprise the concert band.
Selan said she shared her own vulnerabilities with them. She told them she wasn’t a perfect musician, and it took time for her to build up her confidence in her musical ability. The students were shocked, she said. But, she felt like they appreciated it.
One freshman even wrote Selan a note, which she plans to keep in her conducting binder.
It’ll be a piece of her high school band experience she carries forward with her.
Maintaining momentum
But even as Selan gets excited to look forward, she said she doesn’t want to forget the band program that shaped her.
That’s exactly what the band program hoped for by offering students a special centennial year, Sanders said.
Sanders said the whole year has been a boost to band morale. Now, the trick is maintaining momentum.
“I hope this year’s seniors want to come back because they saw how great it was to have so many generations coming in,” Sanders said.
As she joins the ranks of the band’s 100 years’ worth of alumni, Selan plans to return.
“I wasn’t planning on coming back a whole lot once I went to college, but I’ve grown such a connection with all these underclassmen that I want to see them grow, and I want to see them find their passions,” Selan said. “So, I will be coming to as many performances as I can, and I’m excited for them.”
