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.

Two Richland County High School alumni performed at the Illinois Music Education Conference (IMEC) in Peoria, IL on Friday, January 26, 2024. IMEC is the state conference for music education in Illinois that runs in conjunction with the Illinois Music Education’s (ILMEA) high school All-State festival. IMEC offers nearly 200 professional development sessions for music educators within a three-day span. RCHS is honored that two alumni were selected to present and perform at this prestigious event. Those two individuals are Kendra Jellison (RCHS graduate of 2021), and Ethan Steber (RCHS graduate of 2019). 

RCHS alumni Kendra Jellison is an undergraduate student majoring in music education at Millikin University. Kendra performed on January 26th in the Peoria Civic Center with the Millikin University Clarinet Choir. She also served as guest conductor for one composition during the performance entitled When the Rivers Meet by Cait Nishimura. 

RCHS alumni Ethan Steber graduated from Eastern Illinois University on December 2023 with a Bachelor of Music degree with Teacher Certification. Ethan was hired as the Associate Director of Bands at Flora High School on January 2024. The Flora High School Concert Band performed at IMEC on January 26th in the Peoria Civic Center Theater, under the baton of Jena Combs and Ethan Steber. 

Two students from Richland County High School shall participate in the 2024 Illinois Music Education Association (ILMEA) All-State All-State Ensembles. ILMEA will host the event on January 25-27, 2023 in Peoria.

These students were selected from a rigorous audition process as the top student-musicians representing nearly 11,000 schools throughout Illinois. Of the thousands of students that auditioned, only a fraction of students were selected to participate in the event. The two RCHS students selected to participate are Emma Wells (senior/senior band), & Aidan Gomez (senior/jazz band).

Four students from Richland County High School shall participate in the 2023 Illinois Music Education Association (ILMEA) All-State All-State Ensembles. ILMEA will host the event on January 26-28, 2023 in Peoria.

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 four RCHS students selected to participate were Kyle Rennier (senior/jazz band), Victoria Zwilling (orchestra/band), Evan Irvin (senior/jazz band), & Emma Wells (junior/band).

2019 Richland County High School alumnus Ethan Steber performs his senior recital at Eastern Illinois University on Sunday, November 6th, 2022. Ethan will graduate EIU with a bachelors degree in music education, with teacher certification in December of 2023.

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).

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).