UCS junior selected for national honors band

When Dillon Warner begins his future career as a teacher, he will already have on his resume recognition as one of the top 50 high school musicians in the country.

Warner, a Stevenson High School junior, was selected this year to perform with the American School Band Directors Association (ASBDA) 2022 National Honors Band.

“This is a great validation that this is what I want to do with my life,” Warner said.

The ASBDA National Honor Band will bring the nation’s top student musicians together for a performance at the organization’s national conference this June in Englewood, Colorado.

This year, the band will be under the direction of Dr. Rebecca Phillips, the director of bands at Colorado State University.

Students are selected for the band based on an audition they submit performing selections provided by the association. Warner was nominated by Lance Vechinski, a retired Band Director who works with the Stevenson Band and teaches private lessons.

The national honors band is a deserving honor for Warner, according to Stevenson band director Mike Sekich.

“He loves to play and get better every day,” Sekich said. “He also elevates those around him by inspiring them to set higher goals! It is a true pleasure working with Dillon each and every day.”

Warner began performing in sixth grade, and gravitated to the alto saxophone “because it provides a wide range of sound.”

He is proud to be part of the Stevenson band, and said that Sekich “gives me every opportunity” to be successful. It is a something he plans to do for his students as he pursues a career in music education.

“I feel like education has given me a lot,” he said. “There is such a unique dynamic between a music educator and a student, and I want to continue to be part of that.”

Source: Utica Community Schools

Http://www.uticak12.org

Utica Community Schools Superintendent Robert S. Monroe