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Students from Richland County High School Participate in the 2021 ILMEA All-State Ensembles

12/17/2020

 
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Students from Richland County High School Participate in the 2020 ILMEA All-State Ensembles

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Left to right: Kendra Jellison (senior/orchestra), Garrett Wright (senior/band), & Victoria Zwilling (sophomore/band)


Three students from Richland County High School shall participate in the 2021 Illinois Music Education Association (ILMEA) All-State Music Conference. As many of you know, the 2021 IMEC has been cancelled due to COVID-19. ILMEA tentatively plans on holding the event on May 10-13, 2021 in Peoria for an All-State Student Experience, if we are allowed to gather at that time.

These students were selected from a rigorous audition process as the top student-musicians representing over 12,000 schools throughout Illinois. Of roughly 2,400 students that auditioned, only a fraction of students were selected to participate in the event. The three RCHS students selected to participate were  Kendra Jellison (senior), Garrett Wright (senior). and Victoria Zwilling (sophomore).

Kendra Jellison was selected to participate in the 2021 All-State Orchestra. Kendra also participated in the All-State Band in 2019, and the All-State Orchestra in 2020. Ms. Jellison is a six time participant in the ILMEA District 5 Bands & Orchestra in years 2014-2021 at Eastern Illinois University. She is a six time recipient of the 1st Superior rating at the Illinois High School Association (IHSA) Solo & Ensemble Contest. She serves at the President of the RCHS chapter of Tri-M National Honor Music Society. 

Kendra Jellison has performed with the Marching Tigers (serving as a clarinetist and more recently as drum major), the Honors Wind Ensemble, Symphonic Band, and musicals at Richland County High School. She has performed with the Little Illini Conference Pep Band in 2018, 2019, & 2020. She has also performed in the orchestra pit for two RCHS musical productions in 2018 and 2019. 

Kendra represented RCHS at the Lincoln Trail Band Festival in 2018 & 2019. She was also awarded scholarships to attend Eastern Music Camp (EMC) in 2018 & 2019, as well as Smith Walbridge Clinics for drum majors in 2019. Ms. Jellison is attending Millikin University as a music major in the fall of 2021.


Garrett Wright was selected to participate in the 2021 All-State Band. Mr. Wright also participated in the 2019 and 2020 ILMEA District 5 Band. He has been a member of the Honors Wind Ensemble, Symphonic Band, and Marching Tigers as a Trombonist at RCHS. Garrett has also served as Co-Drum Major for the Marching Tigers for the 2019 & 2020 seasons. He is also a member of the Tri-M Music Honors Society where he served as treasurer his Junior year and Vice-President his Senior year.

Along with music, Mr. Wright has participated in athletics being a three sport varsity athlete in soccer, track, and basketball. He has also been an honors student every year in High School.

Victoria Zwilling was selected to participate in the 2021 All-State Band. She has also participated in the ILMEA District 5 Choir and Band in the years 2015-2020. Victoria has received the 1st Superior rating five times for vocal and piano performances at the Illinois Grade School Music Association (IGSMA) Solo and Ensemble Contest and three times for piano and oboe performances at the Illinois High School Association (IHSA) Solo and Ensemble Contest.Ms. Zwilling has performed as an oboist with the Honors Wind Ensemble and Symphonic Band at Richland County High School. She is also a member of the Marching Tigers Front Ensemble. She represented RCHS at the Lincoln Trail Band Festival in 2020. Victoria is a sophomore this year and is looking forward to future musical opportunities.


Students from Richland County High School Participate in the 2020 ILMEA All-State Ensembles

2/13/2020

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Students from Richland County High School Participate in the 2020 ILMEA All-State Ensembles

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Left to right: Colby Garrard (senior/choir) & Kendra Jellison (junior/orchestra)

Two students from Richland County High School participated in the 2020 Illinois Music Education Association (ILMEA) All-State Music Conference. The All-State conference occurred from January 29 until February 1, 2020 in Peoria, IL. These students were selected from a rigorous audition process as the top student-musicians representing over 12,000 schools throughout Illinois. Of roughly 2,400 students that auditioned, only a fraction of students were selected to participate in the event. The two RCHS students selected to participate were Colby Garrard (senior) and Kendra Jellison (junior).

Colby Garrard participated in the 2020 All-State Choir under the direction of Dr. Jonathan Palant from the University of Texas. Colby is a six time participant in the ILMEA District 5 Band & Choir at Eastern Illinois University from 2013-2020. He is a two time recipient of the coveted 1st Superior rating at the Illinois High School Association (IHSA) Solo & Ensemble Contest. Colby is also a member and currently serves as the president of the Tri-M National Honor Music Society, Chapter 8170 at Richland County High School. 

Mr. Garrard continues to be an active performer at both Richland County High School and Olney Central College. He has performed with the Marching Tigers (drumline), Honors Wind Ensemble, Symphonic Band, Concert Choir, and musicals at Richland County High School. He has also performed in several musical productions at Olney Central College.

Colby represented RCHS at the Lincoln Trail Band Festival in 2018 in Casey, IL. Colby plays on the RCHS football team as a varsity offensive lineman.


Kendra Jellison was selected to participate in the 2020 All-State Orchestra under the direction of Prof. Gary Lewis from the College of Music at the University of Colorado Boulder. Kendra also participated in the All-State Band in 2019. Ms. Jellison is a five time participant in the ILMEA District 5 Bands & Orchestra in years 2014-2020 at Eastern Illinois University. She is a six time recipient of the 1st Superior rating at the Illinois High School Association (IHSA) Solo & Ensemble Contest. She serves at the Vice President of the RCHS chapter of Tri-M National Honor Music Society. 

Kendra Jellison has performed with the Marching Tigers (serving as a clarinetist and more recently as drum major), the Honors Wind Ensemble, Symphonic Band, and musicals at Richland County High School. She has performed with the Little Illini Conference Pep Band in 2018, 2019, & 2020. She has also performed in the orchestra pit for two RCHS musical productions in 2018 and 2019. 

Kendra represented RCHS at the Lincoln Trail Band Festival in 2018 & 2019. She was also awarded scholarships to attend Eastern Music Camp (EMC) in 2018 & 2019, as well as Smith Walbridge Clinics for drum majors in 2019.

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Students from Richland County High School Participate in the 2019 ILMEA All-State Ensembles

1/27/2019

 
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Students from Richland County High School Participate in the 2019 ILMEA All-State Ensembles

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From Left to Right: Ethan Steber (Senior/Band), Kendra Jellison (Sophomore/Band),
& Sydney Berkshire (Senior/Orchestra)

Three students from Richland County High School participated in the 2019 Illinois Music Education Association (ILMEA) All-State Music Conference. The All-State conference occurred from January 24th until January 26th, 2019 in Peoria, IL. These students were selected from a rigorous audition process as the top student-musicians representing over 12,000 schools throughout Illinois. Of approximately 2,500 students that auditioned, only a fraction of students were selected to participate in the event.

From left to right, the Richland County High School students that participated in All-State included Ethan Steber (Senior/ All-State Orchestra on clarinet), Sydney Berkshire (Senior/ All-State Orchestra on Horn in F), and Kendra Jellison (Sophomore/All-State Band on Clarinet).

Students from Richland County High School Participate in the 2018 ILMEA All-State Ensembles

1/27/2018

 
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Students from Richland County High School Participate in the 2018 ILMEA All-State Ensembles

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Left (Back) to Right (Front): Shey Long (junior/band), Caleb Thomas (junior/band), Ethan Steber (junior/band), & Delaney Shryock (junior/FMES)

Four students from Richland County High School participated in the 2018 Illinois Music Education Association (ILMEA) All-State Music Conference. The All-State conference occurred from January 25th until January 27th, 2018 in Peoria, IL. These students were selected from a rigorous audition process as the top student-musicians representing over 12,000 schools throughout Illinois. Of approximately 2,500 students that auditioned, only a fraction of students were selected to participate in the event.

From left (back) to right (front), the Richland County High School students that participated in All-State included Shey Long (Senior/ Honors Band on contrabass clarinet) & Caleb Thomas (Senior/ Honors Band on clarinet), Ethan Steber (All-State Orchestra on clarinet), and Delaney Shryock (Senior / Future Music Educators Seminar).

Students from Richland County High School Participate in the 2017 ILMEA All-State Ensembles

1/28/2017

 
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Students from Richland County High School Participate in the 2017 ILMEA All-State Ensembles

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From Left to Right: Victoria Kittle (Senior/Orchestra), & Ethan Steber (Sophomore/Band)

Two students from Richland County High School participated in the 2017 Illinois Music Education Association (ILMEA) All-State Music Conference. The All-State conference occurred from January 26th until January 28th, 2017 in Peoria, IL. These students were selected from a rigorous audition process as the top student-musicians representing over 12,000 schools throughout Illinois. Of approximately 2,500 students that auditioned, only a fraction of students were selected to participate in the event.

From left to right, the Richland County High School students that participated in All-State included Victoria Kittle (Senior/ All-State Orchestra) & Ethan Steber (Sophomore/ All-State Band on clarinet).

Hall of Fame Recipient - Eric Combs

5/19/2000

 
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2000 ERHS Bands Graduate Hall of Fame Recipient

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The Richland County High School would like to welcome Eric Combs to the RCHS Music Departments Hall of Fame. Mr. Combs is a graduate of East Richland County High School (ERHS) of 2000. He is highlighted on the RCHS Music Department Hall of Fame for his work as a writer, advocate, and as an educator.

Mr. Eric Combs currently serves as the Director of Bands at Richland County High School, since August 2004. He has both a bachelors degree and a masters degree in music education from Eastern Illinois University. He currently pursues a masters degree in political science at the University of Illinois Springfield. He is the 2020 Illinois Teacher of the Year, and is also the Illinois nominee for the NEA national teacher of the year (to be announced in January 2021).

During the course of his time as a high school student, Mr. Combs was involved in several ERHS ensembles, including the concert band (1996-2000), the wind ensemble (1998-2000), the orchestra pit for ERHS musicals (1999-2000), and the jazz band (1996-1990).

His high school accolades include:
  • Sliva Award
  • Louis Armstrong Award
  • Drum Major (1998 & 1999)
  • Band President
  • 2000 ILMEA All-State Concert Band

Mr. Combs began his career teaching 6th-8th band in Robinson, Illinois for three years from 2005-2008. He then became the beginning band director at RCMS in the fall of 2008. He also served as the director of the Marching Tigers in 2010. He is originally from Olney, and decided to become a band director in 1993 at the age of 11 while playing saxophone for director Don Graham in the same room that he now teaches.

Under the direction of Mr. Combs, the RCMS bands have earned national recognition. The music department has won awards five times through the "Best Communities for Music Education" program, being named one of a select few top school music departments in the United States. The band program has been recognized twice in recent years by the United States Congress, and regularly earns superior ratings at state contest.

Director Eric Combs was also a recipient of a 2019 Golden Apple Award from WTHI TV10, an award given to five teachers annually in the Terre Haute news viewing area.

In August of 2019, Mr. Combs was awarded the "One Community, All neighbors" educator award from WSIU (National Public Radio), Carbondale, Il.
Mr. Combs is an active internet personality in the band director word, with close to 4,000 band director followers on his various sites. He shares his insights into the profession through his Facebook site, "Thoughts From a Beginning Band Director." He shares video footage of classroom teaching, and lectures about his methods, with other directors through his site, "Sound Beginnings Beginner Band Series." He also has developed and maintained the sites "Band Directors Share," "Southern Illinois Band Directors," and "Illinois Band Director Job Openings."

Mr. Combs has written two books for band directors, one on teaching band camp, and one about beginner band curriculum. He shares these and his many other teaching materials for free with other band directors. He has also been published in SBO Magazine (School Band And Orchestra), the online magazine Band Directors Talk Shop, and has a feature episode on the Everything Band podcast.

​Combs also serves as the school district's representative to the IEA (teachers' union) regional council, and is a delegate to the state Representative Assembly. He is politically active, serving as a member of the national Teach Plus fellowship. During the 2019-2020 school year Combs is speaking with senators, representatives, the State Board of Education, and various others to try to draft and pass legislation to curb the teacher shortage crisis in Illinois.

It is our honor to induct Mr. Connor into the RCHS Music Department Hall of Fame on May 2020).

Hall of Fame Recipient - Josh Connor

5/13/1994

 
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1994 ERHS Bands Graduate Hall of Fame Recipient

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Josh Connor is a graduate of East Richland County High School (ERHS) of 1994. Josh is a graduate of Lincoln Trail College, and The University of Iowa. He is highlighted on the RCHS Music Department Hall of Fame for his work as a writer, producer, and entertainer in Nashville, TN.

During the course of his high school tenure, Josh was involved in several ERHS ensembles, including the concert band (1990-1994), and the jazz band (1990-1990).

His high school accolades include:
  • Sliva Award
  • Louis Armstrong Award
  • 1994 ILMEA All-State Jazz Band

First appearing with published work in the early 1990’s, and continuing as an active song and jingle writer today, Josh has continually explored the integral relationship of music and broadcast. He’s served as Producer and/or Talent for famed Nashville institutions like WSM-AM/FM, WJXA, WCJK, WNFN, the Grand Ole Opry, and The Country Music Hall of Fame.

He hosted nationally syndicated programs regularly on Westwood One’s Nash Icon format from 2015-2018. He’s appeared on CMT-TV, ABC-TV, the ‘Songbirth’ documentary, and on In the Songwriters Circle.

For more information regarding Josh's career, please visit his website at
http://www.joshconnor.com/caravancafe/bio/

It is our honor to induct Mr. Connor into the RCHS Music Department Hall of Fame on May 2020).

    Author

    The author of these posts is Christopher Jones, Director of Bands at Richland County High School.

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