Held on the campus of Southern Illinois University in Edwardsville, MO, Bi-State Band may be the only annual band festival with a next day concert.

Taking place in the span of 48 hours, the Bi-State Band Music festival recently completed its 26th cycle.

“Directors from Missouri and Illinois nominate their top students” said Clayton Brass Specialist Jennifer Shenberger, “those names go into a pool and roughly 250 students are chosen.

Not only is the nomination process rigorous, this year’s participating students convened on the weekend of Martin Luther King day and began seating auditions as soon as they arrived to campus on Jan. 17. That same evening, students were separated into three bands, with the highest ranking students being accepted into the Honor Band.

Shenberger had the great honor of conducting one of this year’s festival bands.

“As a guest clinician and conductor, you realize that the students’ musical experience for the event is entrusted to you and that is something that cannot be taken lightly” Shenberger said. “It can be a bit nerve-racking to try and choose music that has to be prepared in seven hours of rehearsal with a group of students who have never played together.”

Each year, a nationally renowned clinician is brought on campus to conduct and work with the Bi-State Honor Band. This year, band directors were able to net Dr. Nola Jones, who is the coordinator of visual and performing arts for metropolitan public schools in Nashville, TN.

Sophomore Madeleine Goedegeduure was selected to play the flute for the Bi-State Band Festival. She remembers her experience fondly.

“I got into the Honor Band. We spent Friday night rehearsing, and all of Saturday rehearsing. We had a concert Saturday evening,” Goedegeduure said. “It’s very fast. It’s different from most honor bands just because you don’t have a lot of time and you have to get the most out of the weekend, but it’s a lot of fun.”

This year was Goedegeduure’s second year participating in Bi-State Band and her first year as a member of the Honor Band. Despite the short amount of time spent at SIUE, Goedegeduure believes that she has gained a lot from her experience.

“I think I’ve gotten better at sight reading, but the main thing that I’ve improved on is being able to adapt quickly and work with a lot of different people in a short amount of time,” Goedegeduure said.

A lasting impact on the lives of students as well as a high return rate are the marks of a truly well done music program. In the past, most Clayton band students who participate in the Bi-State Band festival end up going back to SIUE the following year.

“I was fortunate to be able to work with 97 wonderfully talented students from across Illinois and Missouri who responded so well, played their hearts out, and gave me 110% the whole time” Shenberger said. “It’s amazing how music can turn a room full of total strangers into a powerful vehicle of expression. I was so proud of the students’ culminating concert performance and enjoyed every minute of the experience.”