MANSFIELD — Alexander Grant is accustomed to performing onstage and on the football field with his peers in the Mansfield Senior High School music program.
But as the senior prepared for a trumpet solo at Tuesday’s board meeting, he laughed and admitted he was a bit nervous before playing the National Anthem.
The Mansfield City Schools Board of Education honored four music students Tuesday, each of whom were accepted into the Ohio Music Education Association’s District 10 Honor Band.
The program brings together the best student musicians from Ashland, Coshocton, Delaware, Holmes, Knox, Licking, and Morrow counties.
Honorees from Mansfield Senior High School included Grant, as well as Kaitlyn Lendman, a junior clarinet player. Lendman also plays in the Mansfield Youth Symphony Orchestra.
Eighth grader Inika Lopez and seventh grader Elizabeth Thompson, both flautists, represented Mansfield Middle School.
Band director Christian Watson said Honor Band is a chance for youth who are extraordinarily passionate about music to perform with like-minded peers.
Grant is one of those students.
“I have my own personal teacher and I practice all the time at home,” Grant told the board.
This year’s Honor Band performance took place in December.
“I’ve been in one other Honor Band and it was just such a great experience,” Grant said. “Everybody just had so much dedication and such a talent for music.”
Grant said he hasn’t selected a college yet, but he hopes to become a music educator like Watson.
Watson is in his first year of teaching at Mansfield City Schools and an eight-year educator. He took over for Charles Bradley II, who retired at the end of last school year.
“It is just an absolute dream come true for me to be working here,” Watson said. “I love every single day.”
