First Chaffee student in nearly 40 years to make All-State Band

CHAFFEE, Mo. — The last time a Chaffee student was named as an All-State Band member was in 1984. Thirty-nine years later, Chaffee senior Colin Menz has become first alternative chair in the Missouri All-State Band.

On Dec. 2, band students from around Missouri traveled to Hickman High School to audition to be in the All-State Band, which is put together by the Missouri Bandmasters Association each year. They will perform at the Missouri Music Educators Association on Saturday, Jan 27, during the Educators Association Conference in Lake of the Ozarks, along with other All-State ensembles, such as choir, jazz band and orchestra. To be able to audition for All-State, students must have made it to their All-District Band.

Menz is the only trumpet player this year in the Chaffee band and has been in band since his seventh grade year. Menz said he originally joined the band because he had to choose between band and art class and he did not want to do art.

Over the years, he said the band has grown on him, and now he can play not only the trumpet but several other instruments, such as percussion, trombone, euphonium, tuba and French horn.

Last year, Menz auditioned for All-State band, but did not receive a call back after his first performance.

This year, Menz also went into these auditions with the mindset he had to make it because he is a senior and this was the last time he could audition for the All-State Band.

"When I auditioned this year, it was different from last year, because last year I just went to the auditions to audition. But this year, I had to make it. I had to be the first player to play and I had to make it to callbacks," Menz said. "It was a goal and saying I had to do it was better than saying I'm going to try to do it. It's because I'm a senior. This is the last year that I could, so I had an idea but it could have been better, it can always get better."

To get ready for auditions this year, Menz said he got the prepared music in April and hit the practicing hard for a few weeks but then put it on the back burner until October. Starting in October, he worked with Southeast Missouri State University's Brooke DeArman each Tuesday. He said the lessons with her really helped him because before he was just playing to play, not really practicing.

Alex Martin is the Chaffee seventh through 12th grade band and choir director and has been at Chaffee for 10 years.

Martin said he has had several students audition for an All-State Band, but none ever got the callback audition to be an alternative or have a seat in the band.

"Something that I like to stress to people about the All-State Band is that there's no classes or districts to it. It's all just like the biggest and best schools in the state going against the smallest most rural schools in the state. And it's purely based on individual personal achievement."

Menz, being the first alternative chair for trumpet, will not be playing with the All-State Band in Lake of the Ozarks unless a member falls ill and he can take their place. Last year, one of Martin's choir students, Westley Sontag, broke the more than 35-year hiatus of a Chaffee student not being in the All-State Choir since 1985 but, Sontag, like Menz, was the first alternative and did not get to perform in the Ozarks.

"I'm definitely proud of Colin and I'm very impressed with how much he's grown as a player." Martin said.

After Menz graduates, he plans to learn how to compose as well as learn more about music theory and make a career out of music.

Along with Menz, four other students from the area were selected for different parts in the All-State band:

• Anna Ahrens from Jackson got an honorable mention for French horn;
• Owen Boss from Jackson got the fifth chair spot for alto saxophone;
• Connor Smith from Cape Central received the fifth chair spot for French horn;
• Ian Kelley from Jackson got an honorable mention for tuba