Two Siloam Springs High School band students have been accepted into the Interlochen Center for the Arts Summer Program.
Junior Kerrig Kelly and sophomore Aurora Conroy -- who both play the french horn -- are the first students from Siloam Springs to be accepted into the highly-prestigious program, according to band director Daniel Hodge.
Interlochen is one of the most renowned musical institutions for youth in the world, Hodge said. Students in ninth through 12th grades apply from six continents but only a few are selected for the demanding and highly regarded program, he said.
The two students went through a rigorous audition process and practiced for countless hours in preparation, Hodge said. Conroy and Kelly said they submitted a video audition and also filled out an extensive application.
They will spend six weeks this summer studying at the school, located in northwestern Michigan, with acclaimed music faculty and conductors from all over the world, he said.
The audition process is rigorous so both students practiced for countless hours in preparation for their audition, Hodge said. In addition to being two of the most dedicated musicians in the Siloam Springs school district, Kelly and Conroy are both model academic students, he said.
Kelly said he is really looking forward to the learning opportunities as well as meeting people from six continents.
"I am most excited about all of the wonderful opportunities I will get at camp, as well as all of the people that I will get to meet that normally I would never even see in my lifetime," he said.
Conroy is hopeful the opportunity will prepare her for even more advanced training in the future.
"I'm most excited about getting to work with some of the best horn teachers in the world, as well as being surrounded by people that are as passionate about their art form as I am about mine," she said.
Both Kelly and Conroy have played the french horn since they started in the school band in sixth grade. They also study french horn privately with Katy Luker, an adjunct high brass teacher for the band program. Luker has been an invaluable resource to the Siloam Springs School District and is fully committed to helping her students reach their full potential, Hodge said.
Kelly plans to pursue a degree in music education and continue on to get a masters in performance, Hodge said. He will then focus his energy to share music with underprivileged students who might not otherwise ever learn to play an instrument.
Conroy has known for some time that her calling is music, Hodge said. Her dream is to go to a conservatory and major in horn performance, then eventually play professionally.
Kelly and Conroy need to raise the remainder of their tuition by April 25 to secure their spots at Interlochen. Those who would like to donate can make their checks payable to Interlochen and mail them to Siloam Springs High School, attention Daniel Hodge, 700 N. Progress Avenue, Siloam Springs, AR 72761.
General News on 03/20/2019