North Hills Wind Ensemble highlights district at national conferences; board hears students’ performance

Senior members of the North Hills High School Wind Ensemble addressed the board on April 30 to describe recent national honors and to share a short excerpt of their performance.

“Hello. My name is Maddie Haronic and this is Linnea Bowen, Ryan Kwalki, and Sally DiBacco,” Maddie Haronic said as students introduced themselves and the ensemble’s accomplishments. The students told trustees the band was the first high school selected as the featured ensemble at the WVU Honors Band Clinic and — by blind audition — a feature performer at the PMEA All‑State Conference.

The students said the group will give a senior farewell concert on May 19 that will include the world premiere of the 2026 commission, "Overwhelming Joy," and asked the community to attend. They described the district’s long‑running commission series dating to 1965 and cited professional praise the ensemble received at conferences: students quoted attendees who said, “If I didn't see it myself, you couldn't convince me that was a high school band,” and that the performance was “life‑changing.”

Board members and attendees offered applause and praise for the students’ work and for student journalism (the board highlighted the student‑run Hilltop Headlines). The board also shared routine announcements and thanked the music staff for the ensemble’s work.

The ensemble’s appearance was presented as a brief recognition during the committee meeting; the district invited the public to the May 19 concert to hear the full program.