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).

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).

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).

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).