On Monday, Jan. 16, around 180 students from different towns in the Southwest Iowa district, will be performing on the Atlantic stage for the 2017 SWIBA honor band. There were eight of Atlantic’s own band members who were accepted into the honor band. Nadia Somers, Sam Coder, Hannah Richter, Bryn Blanchette, Anna Iekel and Morganne Cameron are going to be performing in the 11/12 band. Katie York will be the only AHS student who will be performing 9/10 band.
Nadia Somers is one of the few students who auditioned for SWIBA and was accepted every time. This is Somers final year being a part of the 2017 SWIBA honor band. “I’m most looking forward to being out of school for a day just so I can do my favorite thing and have a good time with people from other schools,” Somers said. As a senior who has made SWIBA every single year, one piece of advice she leaves behind for those who are thinking about auditioning or didn’t make it is, “I’d tell them to go for it! If you didn’t make it, try it again. Just take a little more time, practice an extra fifteen minutes, and just have fun. The experience of auditioning is good for everyone and makes you a better player in the long run, even if you aren’t accepted.”