Leader staff

Grade 11 student Skylar Hill of Slave Lake recently had the rare honour of being invited to play in the University of Alberta Honour Band. She was one of eight French horn players from around Alberta chosen to play in the 91-piece ensemble in a concert on March 20 at the Francis Winspear Centre.

That was the capper on a whole weekend of music-related activities for Hill and the other invited high school students. They also took part in a couple of days of rehearsals and instrumental clinics.

The high school honour band took turns with the U of A Symphonic Wind Ensemble (which features former RMS student Jordan Nahamko) at the Sunday show at the Winspear, playing six songs.

Hill was nominated for the Honour Band by her high school band teacher Jasmine Gaskell. She says she would like to keep playing the horn after high school. She plans to attend university and after her first time playing in a big orchestra, would like to have more of that sort of experience.

“I love orchestra music,” she says. “I’d like to be a band teacher, or play in an orchestra in Edmonton.”

Skylar’s love of this ‘other’ kind of music she dates back to when she attended the musical Phantom of the Opera in Edmonton, “and I loved it.”