Donations to the James T. Cummins ScholarshipConsider a donation to an aspiring high school musician! The Richland County High School Band Program The James T. Cummins Band Scholarship is presented to a graduating senior within the RCHS Band Program. This student must exhibit exceptional ability in music, good moral character, and he or she must intend to continue his or her involvement in a band program after high school. The senior is not required to pursue a music career to be eligible for this scholarship.
Individuals may donate by check to RCHS BANDS. They may also donate online through TrevTrak using a debit card or credit card. RevTrak (https://ercu1.revtrak.net/) is an online payment portal that is utilized by the Richland County Community School District. Please note that there is a 4.45% Software Admin Fee applied by RevTrak for each transaction. FILLING OUT REVTRAK: When filling out RevTrak, select the following:
Thanks so much for your time! Please let me know should you have any questions. - Mr. Jones Winter Guard Schedule: Audition practice March 6th (3:00-4:30 p.m.) Auditions March 13th (3:00-4:30 p.m.) Practice Date (3:00-5:00 p.m.): March 20th March 27th April 3rd April 10th April 17th Possible performance on April 19th
CLICK HERE FOR THE 2024 SOLO & ENSEMBLE RESULTS The IHSA Solo & Ensemble Contest is nearly upon us! The IHSA Solo & Ensemble Contest is scheduled for Saturday, March 8th, 2025 at Lawrenceville High School. The day's itinerary is as follows: 8:15 AM - Meet in the RCHS Rehearsal Hall 8:30 AM - Depart for Lawrenceville, IL 9:10 AM - Estimated arrival at Lawrenceville High School 2:00 PM - Estimated departure from Lawrenceville for Olney 2:30 PM - Estimated return to RCHS Students may sign-out with a guardian following performances. Please sign-out with Mr. Jones (band) or Mr. Weitkamp (choir) before leaving. The address for Lawrence High School is 2200 James St, Lawrence, IL 62439. Packing List: Performance attire (you do not have to wear the concert black-and-white attire, but dress attire is required), instrument, extra reeds, musical accessories, sheet music, lunch money. We will not leave Lawrenceville High School until the event is over. Students are encouraged to bring money, as the Lawrenceville Band Boosters is selling food and drinks. Performance Fees: Accompanied solos = $20 Unaccompanied solos = $10 Duet = $9 (per student) Trio = $8 (per student) Quartet = $7 (per student) Quintet = $6 (per student) Each participating student is required to pay the performance fee. Students & parents may elect to use funds that have built up in the student's band activity account. The due date for fees is March 1st. Band students, please visit https://gocuttime.com/ for and log in for balance and invoices. 9:20 AM - Addison Ridgely (113 Bb Soprano Saxophone) - Performance Room: 306 - Accompanied by Joyce Fritschle - 1 student(s) 9:40 AM - Schneider, et al (620 Random Instrumentation) - Performance Room: 406 - Unaccompanied - 2 student(s) 10:20 AM - Zuber, et al (652 Bass Ensemble) - Performance Room: 404 - Unaccompanied - 4 student(s) 10:30 AM - Tracy, et al (601 Flute Ensemble) - Performance Room: 304 - Unaccompanied - 2 student(s) 10:30 AM - Schneider, et al (611 Tuba/Baritone/Euphonium Ensemble) - Performance Room: 402 - Unaccompanied - 2 student(s) 11:10 AM - Longbons, et al (608 Trumpet Ensemble) - Performance Room: 402 - Unaccompanied - 2 student(s) 11:20 AM - Ryden, et al (615 Mixed Percussion Ensemble) - Performance Room: 117 - Unaccompanied - 3 student(s) 1:10 PM - Callista Ridgely (114 Eb Alto Saxophone) - Performance Room: 306 - Unaccompanied - 1 student(s) 1:20 PM - Mehl, et al (612 Mixed Brass Ensemble) - Performance Room: 406 - Unaccompanied - 2 student(s) 1:20 PM - Heath, et al (602 Clarinet Ensemble) - Performance Room: 306 - Unaccompanied - 2 student(s)  Welcome to Lawrenceville High School; we are pleased to host the IHSA Solo and Ensemble Contest. We hope that the students have a successful and rewarding day. Enclosed you will find a schedule of events and general information. Please make this available to participating students and parents. Information Center The information centers will be located inside the main entrance of the building and in the gym hallway. Contest workers will be happy to assist you throughout the day. Homeroom and Warm-up Area The main homeroom and warm-up area is the gym. Since students will be playing instruments and warming up in this area, no running, basketball playing, or roughhousing will be tolerated in the gym. No food or drinks are allowed in the gym. Warm up rooms will be located in Rooms 603-604 this year, directly across from the gym. There will be monitors in these rooms to make sure all participants get time. Please do not play or sing outside of the warm-up areas. Contest Rooms See school map and contest schedule for specific performance rooms. No food or drinks allowed outside the cafeteria in hallways or performance rooms. Please remind students to be quiet in the hallways outside the performance rooms. Once a performance has begun, the contest room door will not be opened until the performance is complete. Please cooperate with the door monitors in this respect. Contestants should report to their scheduled contest room at least five minutes prior to performance time. Spectators are welcome provided that they do not talk during performances. Please turn off your cell phones or put them in silent mode before entering contest rooms. We ask that everyone give our young musicians every opportunity for a successful performance. Cafeteria and Concessions Concessions will be available from 8:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. ALL FOOD AND DRINK MUST BE CONSUMED IN THE CAFETERIA. NO FOOD AND DRINK WILL BE ALLOWED IN ANY OTHER PART OF THE BUILDING! Menu will include chicken sandwich - $3.00, corn dog - $3.00, hot dog - $2.00, nachos - $3.00, soda - $1.00, water - $1.00, candy - $1.00, chips - $1.00. Equipment Pianos, chairs, and stands will be furnished in each contest room. All room pianos will have bluetooth capability, and will have a sign on the piano telling what to connect to. If there is no bluetooth capability on the piano used, there will be a bluetooth speaker in the room for use. Percussion instruments that will be provided are: bells, xylophone, vibraphone, marimba, bass drum, 2 snare drums and four timpani. All other equipment must be furnished by the individual schools. If you will be bringing any large percussion equipment, please contact Mrs. Mendenhall. The Music Shoppe will be onsite this year with items for purchase and for emergency use if needed. Judges Every judge of an event will need to be presented with an original copy of each selection with the measures numbered as per the IHSA Terms and Conditions of the contest. (Make sure your school’s name is on each judge’s score.) The judges’ ratings will be final. Conflicts In spite of our best efforts to avoid conflicts, they will happen due to the limited number of accompanists, students participating in multiple events, etc. We ask your patience in dealing with conflicting events. Directors, please report DNA’s to room #502 upon check-in. (If you are aware of DNAs before March 2, please e-mail the contest manager: [email protected]. Ratings Ratings will be posted electronically using the entry number as soon as they are available in the cafeteria. Checkout Envelopes with adjudication sheets and medal request forms will be available only to directors and may not be taken from the contest headquarters until all of that particular school’s entries have been performed and the ratings have been processed. Directors should make sure that all score sheets and medal request form is enclosed before departing. Conduct Any conduct, which endangers health and safety, rights and property of others, or is disruptive to a good contest environment, will not be tolerated. Students are expected to:
Smoking is not permitted anywhere on Lawrenceville High School grounds. Lawrenceville High School and the IHSA will not be responsible for lost articles. Anyone found in violation of the guidelines will be asked to leave the premises. 
This band festival was formed to afford the students an opportunity to perform in a concert band consisting of only high school student-musicians of the Little Illini Conference, under the direction of a guest conductor. We are fortunate for the opportunity for the Symphonic Band to participate in the event. The festival is held at Casey-Westfield High School on Thursday, March 13th, 2025. There is no cost associated with the Lincoln Trail Band Festival, aside from food money ($20). Students may elect to bring a sack lunch/dinner instead. Buffet Lunch: Chicken Strips, Pork BBQ, Oven Baked Potatoes, Green Beans, Salad/Bread Bar, Chocolate Cake, Cookies, Iced Tea, Lemonade Dinner: Casey’s Pizza, Soft Drinks A note from Mr. Ritter, Director of Bands at Casey-Westfield High School:
THE ITINERARY FOR THE DAY IS AS FOLLOWS: 7:20-7:30...........MEET AT RCHS 7:30......................DEPART FOR CASEY, IL 8:30–9:00...........ARRIVE AT CASEY-WESTFIELD HIGH SCHOOL (306 E Edgar Ave. Casey IL) 9:00–11:15.........REHEARSAL (Breaks will be taken at guest conductor’s discretion) 11:15–12:45.......LUNCH (Richard's Farm) 12:45–4:30..........REHEARSAL (Breaks will be taken at guest conductor’s discretion) 4:30-5:30..............DINNER (pizza and then change into concert attire) 5:30........................WARM-UP AND TUNE 6:00.......................CONCERT 7:30.......................DEPART FOR OLNEY, IL 9:00.......................ESTIMATED RETURN TIME TO RCHS Please feel free to contact me should there be any further questions at [email protected] or at (618) 393-2191 ext. 3153. Click HERE for bus and van seat assignment. Students must sign into their rccu1.net account for access to this document. Click on the tabs to navigate between the roster, the bus seating chart, and the van seating chart. 
Congratulations to those that were selected to participate in the LIC Pep Band Conference on Saturday, January 25th, 2025! Those students are Emma Meadows, Jasper Tracy, Hadley Heath, Ethan Zuber, Ethan Mehl, Alex Schneider, Conner Akers, and Jereme Higginbotham.
The LIC Conference is held at Lawrenceville High School this year. Rehearsal begins at 10:00 a.m. The call-time for that day is 8:45 am in the RCHS band room. We depart for Lawrenceville, IL at 9:00 am. We arrive at the host school no later than 9:45 a.m. There is only one pep band this year. Pizza & drinks are provided for dinner at no cost to the students. Lunch is on your own. Students will need to bring money or a sack lunch. Concessions is also available on site. Performance attire:
Required items:
Locations on site: Gym = rehearsals and games Band Room = storing cases, jackets, and other personal items The band will perform before and at half-time of two games The game times are as follows (take with a grain of salt): Game 1 = 1pm Game 2 = 2:30pm Game 3 = 4pm Game 4 = 5:30pm I anticipate a return time to Richland County High School at around 7:30pm.  Three students from Richland County High School shall participate in the 2025 Illinois Music Education Association (ILMEA) All-State All-State Ensembles. ILMEA will host the event on January 29-February 1, 2025 in Peoria. These students were selected from a rigorous audition process as the top student-musicians representing over 11,000 schools throughout Illinois. Of roughly 2,400 students that auditioned, only a fraction of students were selected to participate in the event. The RCHS students selected to participate are Ethan Zuber (senior trombonist/All-State Jazz Band), Alex Schneider (junior tuba player/All-State Band), Jereme Higginbotham (freshman percussionist/All-State Band).  Ethan Zuber has been a member of the Richland County High School band program since 2021. He has a member of Marching Tigers since his freshman year and has been a member of low brass up until his junior year. His senior year he served as Drum Major. He has attended the Lincoln Trail Festival since his freshman year and he has played both trombone and euphonium. He has been a member of the Honor Wind Ensemble since his freshman year where he has served as 2nd trombone his Freshman through Junior years, and 1st chair his Senior year. He is also a member of the RCHS Jazz Ensemble where he has served as a trombonist. In 2022, 2023, and 2024, he was selected as a jazz trombonist for the district 5 Illinois Music Education (ILMEA) Jazz Festival on the campus of Eastern Illinois University (EIU). In 2024, he was selected as the principal trombonist for the ILMEA Orchestra festival also on the campus of EIU. His Junior year he was elected as Historian for the Tri-M National Honors Society (chapter 8170), and his senior year he is serving as the president of the honors society. Ethan has served as a trombonist for the Richland County High School musical production of Elf, 9 to 5, SpongeBob, and Annie. He has also received numerous Superior ratings from IHSA Solo and Ensembles competitions. After graduating, he plans to attend either the University of Illinois or to Eastern Illinois University to major in either Music Education or Trombone Performance.  Alex Schneider was selected for the 2025 Illinois Music Education (ILMEA) All-State Band. He also participated in the District 5 ILMEA Band in 2024. Alex is currently a member of the Honors Wind Ensemble, Marching Tigers, and Symphonic Band as a Tubist. He also is enrolled in the Jazz Band as a Trumpet player. He is a member of the Tri-M Music Honor Society (chapter 8170). Along with music Alex is a 2-sport varsity athlete in baseball and soccer. Alex also serves as the Executive board Vice President for the Richland County High School Student Council, which he has been in for 3 years.  Jereme Higginbotham was selected to participate in the 2025 Illinois Music Education (ILMEA) All-State Band. He is currently a sophomore at Richland County High School. He has participated in ILMEA District 5 Bands for 4 years. Jereme accomplished ILMEA Junior Band his 7th and 8th grade year, and ILMEA Junior Jazz Band his 7th grade year. He was also selected for the All Illinois Junior Band State Ensemble in his 8th grade year. In his current high school career, he accomplished ILMEA Senior Orchestra his freshman and sophomore year. Jereme is a participant of the RCHS Marching Tigers, where he played 3rd bass drum in the ‘23 season and snare drum in the ‘24 season. He has been a member of the Honors Wind Ensemble since 2023. He is also a member of the school’s jazz band, where he has played jazz drumset his freshman and sophomore year. Jereme is currently a member of the Tri-M Honor Music Society Chapter 8170, which he has been a part of for 2 years. He participated in the IHSA Solo and Ensemble contest of 2024 and obtained a Superior in his percussion quartet. He has also participated in the orchestral pit for the high school’s musicals the past 2 years.
After graduating in 2027, Jereme plans to attend the University of Illinois at Champaign/Urbana to pursue a degree in the field of Science. Five Richland County High School Band Students Participate in the 2024 District 5 ILMEA Concert & Jazz Festivals Five student-musicians from the Richland County High School band program have been selected to partake in the 2024 Illinois Music Education Association (ILMEA) District 5 Music Festival on November 4th (Jazz) & November 23rd (band, orchestra & choir) at Eastern Illinois University. These students were selected from a rigorous audition process as the top student-musicians representing 15 schools from twenty counties across the southeast Illinois area. From left-to-right, the one middle school student, and the two high school band students that participate in the jazz festival on November 4th are Brooklyn Ferguson (eighth grade/junior jazz band), Lila Balding (junior/senior jazz band), and Ethan Zuber (senior/senior jazz band).  From left-to-right, the five RCHS band students that participate in the concert festival on November 23rd are Hadley Heath (sophomore/senior band), Lila Balding (junior/senior band), Jereme Higginbotham (sophomore/senior orchestra), Ethan Zuber (senior/senior band), and Alex Schneider (junior/senior band).      Richland County High School inducted seven new members into the Tri-M Honor Music Society, chapter 8170 on Wednesday, October 30, 2024. The new members are (from left-to-right) Maddison Syers, Sophie Combs, Alaina Parker, Hadley Heath, Evey Mason, Jackson Williams, and Alex Schneider.  2024-2025 RCHS Tri-M Honor Music Society, chapter 8170.
First row (left-to-right): Maddison Syers, Sophie Combs, Alaina Parker, Hadley Heath, Evey Mason, Jackson Williams, Alex Schneider Second row (left-to-right): Mr. Weitkamp, Jereme Higginbotham, Callista Ridgely, Molly Fehrenbacher, Addison Ridgely, River Logan, Lila Balding, Ethan Zuber, and Mr. Jones Not in picture: Conner Akers 2024 Millikin Honor Band Festival in Decatur, IL Four Richland County High School students were selected to participate in the 2024 Millikin High School Honor Band on Monday, Oct. 21st at the Kirkland Fine Arts Center at Millikin. The four RCHS students were Alex Schneider (tuba), Maddison Syers (tenor saxophone), Hadley Heath (clarinet), and Tyler Longbons (trumpet). This Honor Band is a long standing tradition in central Illinois that has hosted thousands of talented high school students over the years. The 2024 High School Honor Band was directed by Dr. Neal Smith. Dr. Smith was appointed Associate Director of Bands at Millikin in 1999 and became the Director of Bands in 2022. He is also the Music Director of the Decatur Youth Symphony and Coordinator of Instrumental Music Education. Dr. Smith is well known as a guest conductor and clinician with bands and orchestras of all ages. As part of the Millikin HS Honor Band students will have a chance to rehearse and perform with other talented young musicians from across the region, as well as take part in masterclasses with Millikin faculty and learn more about future opportunities in music. Also featured as part of this year's Honor Band program will be Dr. Apollo Lee, adjunct professor of trumpet at Millikin. Dr. Lee earned his Masters and Doctorate from the Eastman School of Music and is a member of the Illinois Symphony Orchestra and principal trumpet in the Millikin Decatur Symphony Orchestra. Congratulations to all four RCHS students for their selection into the honor band!  Left-to-right: Tyler Longbons, Hadley Heath, Maddison Syers, and Alex Schneider  |
AuthorThe author of these posts is Christopher Jones, Director of Bands at Richland County High School. Archives
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