Stillwater 8th Grade Symphonic Band Shines in Tulsa

A loyal crowd of family, friends, and music lovers gathered at the Tulsa Performing Arts Center on Thursday night, January 16, to watch the Stillwater Jr. High School 8th Grade Symphonic Band perform at the Oklahoma Music Educators Association (OkMEA) Winter Conference. They were one of just three honor bands selected and the only junior high school band in the state to receive this distinction.

2025 is the third year Ms. Megan Perkins has led this band to OkMEA recognition, not to mention numerous other prestigious regional awards. This year also marks her tenth year of teaching at Stillwater Public Schools.

Ms. Perkins was eager to show off what her students could do. “They don’t sound like 8th graders!” Ms. Perkins told me before the concert. “When many people think of great school bands, they automatically think of high school students. But these junior high kids are performing really difficult music at an extremely high level.”

As the crimson curtain rose, the band sat poised and ready, dressed in black, their instruments gleaming under the bright stage lights. Ms. Perkins walked calmly over to the podium and signaled the band to begin.

The room filled with the first bold notes of “Flourishes!”—an opener that kicked off with bright brass before settling into a calmer theme and closing with a lively finish. Trumpet player Kai Collett describes it well as “the kind of piece filmmakers would use as background music for a group of superheroes heading out for a quest.”

“Butterfly’s Ball” was their second piece, a performance that could have easily been mistaken for a film score from a Pixar adventure. It was full of whirling and whooshing sounds, blending a sense of eeriness and excitement. This was a demanding and mature piece that was pulled off seamlessly.

Next up was “The Crystal Fountain”, which began with the delicate shimmering sound of the xylophone, chimes, and I think I heard a triangle in there, mimicking the sound of water. Gradually the melody of “Guide Me, O Thou Great Redeemer” emerged. It came so naturally that one’s mind drifted away from the making of the music to contemplate grand and holy places.

“¡Viva!” came next. It instantly created the feeling of an epic Western drama that suddenly evolved into the fast-paced folk music of a border town of Mexico and Texas. Trumpet player Grady Condley enjoyed this piece for all tempo shifts. “It also helps that the trumpets get the melody a lot,” he said.

The last piece was “Zydeco Cajun Crawdad Dance”. It started off sounding like a piece from Aaron Copeland’s Rodeo but with a twist of Cajun, Creole, and Caribbean melodies mixing into a jubilee/hoedown sound. Band members let out hoots and hollers without missing a beat. “When I play The Crawdad Dance, I feel overwhelming joy and can’t help but smile!” says trumpet player Ava Haar.

That feeling of exhilaration and pride was more than reflected by the audience, who erupted in cheers and applause.

Watching this group grow in skill, maturity, and identity over just a few months has been one of the most rewarding things for Ms. Perkins. “I love what band does for kids. They think they’re just learning notes and rhythms, but band actually provides so much more than that for students. It teaches responsibility, time management, awareness, and dedication. It teaches kids to work together. No one sits on the bench in band - everyone has to give 100%. 

And most importantly, band gives students a place to belong.”

And what a band to belong to! These talented young musicians should be mighty proud of themselves, as we are of them.

The members of the band are Gracie Essary, Izzy Joyce, Lauren Kerns, Emelie Klein, and Madison O’Malley (Flute); Audrey Rice and Kara Wardlaw (Oboe); Tierney Callahan and Parker Charter (Bassoon); Kenzie Judie, Dafne Luevanos-Gonzalez, Kaplan Novy-Bean, Kaisley O’Nan, Ally Rickman, Kelly Sanchez Fuentes, Jayden Smith, and Andrea Warner (Clarinet); Noah Brewer and Joshua Williamson (Bass Clarinet); John Lawson, Scott Ranone, and Bela Wulitich (Alto Saxophone); Kai Collett, Grady Condley, Ava Haar, Emmitt James, Henry Jeyasingh, Madi Myers, Cole Selvey, and Jayce Stephens (Trumpet); William Kiespert, Marianna Miranda, Luke Taylor, and Timber Wick (French Horn); Kam Bessinger, Henry Easson, Charlie Meyer, Oliver Minges, Jeremiah Mondragon, and Cort Walthall (Trombone); Lucas Payne and Connor Sturzenbecker (Euphonium); Thomas Halley and Luke Soulek (Tuba); and Sophie Chapman, Margaret Hanshew, Vivien Ivey, Maverick Looper, Maggie McGaugh, Patrick Nolan, Toky Ouedraogo, Bear Stout and Carter Stringfellow (Percussion).