"To my parents: Thank you for sending me to all the rehearsals, sectionals, concerts and standing by me during this process. I’m grateful for everything you’ve done and I love y’all! To all my friends: I’ll forever remember all of our shared laughter and jokes. Getting to play with y’all is such an honor! To Mr. Rivera: You helped me grow as not just a flute player but as a human—thank you so much for teaching me!"
Maggie Sun
"Thank you to my mom for supporting me and pushing me to be my best!"
Misthi Patel
"For my parents: Thank you so much for supporting me in band and outside of it! I really appreciate you guys always having my back and driving me to concerts, meetings, etc.!"
Winn Chung
"Thank you to my parents for everything that you supported for me and our Midwest trip. Your encouragement and fundraising made the journey a lot more meaningful for all of us, and we fully appreciate y'all."
Claire (Zilian) Zhang
"A big thank you to Mr. Rivera for making my 7th grade band experience phenomenal, teaching me everything I know, and adding a lot more humor and awesomeness into my life. Symphonic Band will always remember you!"
Misthi Patel
"Dear Mama and Baba, Thank you for everything you do for us. You are always there for me, and support everything I do. Thank you for always being at my band concerts and listening to me playing flute at home. You guys are the best! Love you! -Nadine Ghanem :)"
Nadine Ghanem
"Thanks to Maggie for being a really good fluteloop friend and for always encouraging me in everything that I do. Band wouldn't be as fun without her :)"
Misthi Patel
"Thank you mom for feeding me every day and giving me intelligence. Thank you dad for helping buy me an xbox just because it was on sale."
Alex Yang
"Dear Mom and Dad, I have to say a big thank you for donating money to help the honor band go to Chicago. This really means a lot to me because this is truly a once in a lifetime experience!"
Macie Li
"Dear Mom and Dad, Thank you so much for all of the sacrifices that you have made for my band journey. From hearing my horrible sounds starting out, to Chicago, the least I could do is to thank you. Love Byron."
Byron Bahrami
"Dear Mom, Dad and my brother, Thank you so much for all the time you invest and how much you support me! I am so grateful that you will be there to watch my concert in Chicago! Thank you for all you have done."
Tiana Shah :)
Double Reeds
"I'm thankful for my parents and brother. My mom and dad have taken their time in their life to help me succeed in what I am doing right now. They take their time after work every day to drive me to swim practice, which is 30 minutes away, and they wait there for over 2 hours. My brother also comes with us to swim and has been since he was 2. He is also very positive and committed to his work. Thank you for everything!"
Sherrie Yan
"Thank you so much, Mom and Dad, for always supporting me and encouraging me to grow, improve, and strive to give my best (making me non-voluntarily, I mean very much willingly practice). Thank you for everything you do, I love you :)"
DaAe kim
"Thanks Amma and Appa for everything! Even though sometimes I don't listen, y'all always ask how my day at school was. I could'nt appreciate more how much time you put into giving me a good foundation for me to build my life upon and to find my interests. I know band has been a crazy commitment but thanks for supporting me all the way through! Love y'all!"
Sai Charan
"Thanks Amma, you have been the core of my life. You have always supported me in finding and developing my interests. I may not show it at times, but I can't appreciate more all that you have done for me. Love you!"
Sai Charan
"Mom, thank you for taking care of me and supporting me through my worst. Dad, thank you for taking care of me and making my life fun."
Joyce Li
"Thank you to my Mom and Dad for all the hard work they put into accommodating me, driving me places, and supporting us in whatever I do. Thank you to my Grandparents for always appreciating me and caring about me."
Sam Crookham
"Thank you to my mom, dad and sister, for always believing in me and supporting me through everything. I’m so grateful for all the sacrifices you have made for me. Thank you for everything!"
Sophia Zeng
Clarinets & Bass Clarinets
"Mom and Dad, thank you so much for everything! I hope you know how much I love you, and how much this all means to me. Thank you for giving up time in your day for me, and thank you for being amazing parents!! I love you to the moon and back!"
Zivah Golden
"Thank you guys so much for all you do! I know you spend a lot of time and money on me in band! I very much appreciate it. Love you."
Dylan Cox
"Thank you to my parents Oleg and Lesia for helping me get to the point where I am right now in band. They were always there to help and were willing to help me get involved in band as much as they could. Thank You!"
Matvii Kobchenko
"Thank you, Mom and Dad, for all of the hard work you guys do that keeps me having fun, whether it is in band or anything else I might enjoy. From Elliott C."
Elliott Crookham
"Thank you mamá y papá for all the money you’ve spent on me for band and being present to my concerts, love you!"
Mia Almazan
"Dear Mom and Dad, I am so grateful that you have spent all this time and effort helping me prepare for midwest. You have put in so much effort taking me to all these band events throughout this first semester, and I'm so thankful for you doing this massive favor for me. Love, Arjun Nara"
Arjun Nara
"Dear mom and dad, Thanks for everything, like supporting me and letting me go to Chicago. Also thank you for spending a lot for me. Love, Kaden"
Kaden Ballweber
"Dear mom and dad, Thank you very much for supporting me in my band journey (even though you wanted me to be in percussion)! Everything I have done, I needed you with me. Again, thank you. Sincerely Ismail Ali"
Ismail Ali
"Hi mom and dad thank you for doing all the things you do and helping me and being awsum :)"
Asher Porst
"Dear Mom and Dad, I am so grateful that you have spent all this time and effort helping me prepare for Midwest. You have put in so much effort taking me to all these band events throughout this first semester, and I'm so thankful for you doing this massive favor for me. Love, Arjun Nara"
Arjun Nara
Saxophones
"Dear my Parents, Fanny Chandra and Josef Baharudin, and my Brother, Jayden Baharudin, Thank you so much for all you guys have done for me! I truly couldn't be here without you. All of those sacrifices you have made, putting up with tantrums or complaints, pushing me through hardships, being there for me, inspiring me, all just a speck of dust in the things you do for me. I cannot put into words how grateful I am. You guys are the reason for every single one of my acomplishments, for every one of my experiences. I truly, truly, thank you. Your son and brother, Jaxon Baharudin"
Jaxon Baharudin
"To my parents, Thank you so much for all the time and money you spent so that I can travel to Midwest. Especially to my mom, thank you so much for chaperoning, spending time for us, and spending extra money. Thank you."
Gianna Lin
"Thank you, Amma and Nana, for always supporting me in everything I do. Your love and patience mean more than words can express. You’ve shown me true dedication and to never give up when life is hard. Every success I’ve had is because of your belief in me. I’m endlessly grateful to share every single moment with such amazing parents. Love You!"
Esha Vellanki
"Thank you, Mom and Dad, for helping me on this journey and supporting me in doing what I love for years. Even when I was 7, you still backed me up. I might not have been the best back then, but it has taken me far. And also thank you to my brother, he's always been there, and I'm so grateful for having you in my life!"
Alex Szabo
"I'm thankful for my parents because they provide for me and give me opportunities to pursue my dreams."
Kevin Fu
"Dear Mom and Dad, Thank you for making me do my homework every day."
Leon Gliniecki
Trumpets
"Thank you mom and dad for letting me go to Chicago and make many memories with the band. Thank you for pushing me to my limits and recognizing I can accomplish many things, but I have to overachieve on things I want to accomplish. Thank you for letting me go to Chicago and have all my hard work pay off from band and get to show other people how good we are, and making memories with the band and other companies that may be there with us on the trip in Chicago."
Avery Aston
"Hola mamá y papá, Sé que costó mucho dinero venir a verme y comprarme boletos para ir a Chicago. En serio, muchísimas gracias por hacer esto por mí. Lo disfrutaré y me la voy a pasar muy bien. Muchas gracias por siempre estar ahí para mí."
Jorge Stone
"Dear Mom and Dad, I am super thankful for all the support that you give me. You have always believed in me and helped me through all my hard times. Without you my life would be a complete failure. Thank you for making me the person that I am and I promise to always make you proud."
Leire López Lugo
"Thank you Mom and Dad, for helping me through my journey, and thank you Evan, for leading me to find the trumpet as my instrument."
Grant Johnsrud
"Hi mama and papa! Thank you so much for everything you did to help me prepare for Midwest! For driving me early in the morning, packing my lunch for the day so I could sleep in, making my water so I was less rushed, but most of all, thank you for helping me stay on top of practicing! It helped so much, even if all you heard was whole notes."
Elizabeth Bronshteyn
"To mom and dad. I want to thank you both for always being there for me. Being my biggest supporter and helping me through my challenging times. You guys both make me a better musician every day, making me practice and helping me. And I just want to thank y'all for always being there for me, Love y'all."
Kellan DiLauro
Horns
"I want to take a minute to thank my family. Thank you to my mom and dad for always being so supportive when I practice, and getting up early in order to drive me to early morning rehearsals. They would always encourage me and attended as many of my performances as they could to show support, encouraging me from the audience. I also would like to thank my two sisters. They would listen to me practice and help prepare me for crowds. My sister Ava Elizabeth Coffey, would distract me when I can't get part of the music right and need to refresh my mind. My other sister, Olivia Grace Coffey, has been in the Vandegrift band and gives me tips on my music sometimes. Their support with my music always encourages me to keep going and keep trying even when part of the music is complicated."
Emma Coffey
"Dear Mama, Papa & Didi, thank you for always supporting me in my journey in band. Thank you for driving me everywhere and enduring the practicing + concerts I know you love. You always support my passions and motivate me to try my best. I'm so thankful for this trip to Chicago. Thank you for all that you do for my future"
Aadya Kishore
"Thank you, Mom and Dad, for always supporting me in everything I do. Your encouragement, patience, and love mean more than I can ever express. Every step I take feels easier because you’re behind me, cheering me on. I’m grateful for the sacrifices you’ve made and the guidance you give every day. I wouldn’t be who I am without you, and I appreciate you both more than you know."
Pranav Kurupati
"Dear Mom, Dad, and Chloe Thank you all so much for all the support you have given me. I appreciate y'all for coming to my concerts and bringing me to rehearsals. Thank you for supporting my music!"
Max Goh
Trombones
"Mom and Dad, Jennifer and Guillermo Vieiro, thank you! Mom, thank you for always being there for me during my highs and lows. Your recent help with packing for Chicago was greatly appreciated. Dad, thank you for chaperoning my trips and watching over me and the band. Thank you both for your support and help with everything, including band. Thank you, Andre"
Andre Vieiro
"Thank you for letting me go to Chicago and paying for my trip I am extremely grateful for you guys even though I might not express it."
Alex Bocwinski
"I would like to thank both my parents and my sister. They’ve always encouraged and supported me and are there when I need them. I’m so appreciative of all they’ve done for me and I hope they know that. I also try to realize all their huge efforts in making sure I’m able to pursue what I enjoy. I couldn’t ask for anything better. Thank you!"
Arnaan Shah
"Dear Mom and Dad, Thank you for everything you do for me. I couldn't have done this without y'alls support and love. Thanks for giving me all the guidance I needed to get good at trombone and helping me with everything I've ever needed. Thank you, love Layla :)."
Layla Keller
"Thank you Mom and Dad for supporting me and letting me go to Chicago for the Midwest Band Clinic, I couldn't have made it this far without y'all."
Owen Rentz
"Thank you Mom and Dad for supporting me with whatever I do, making me a better person, and being the best parents I could have wished for!"
Robbie Malacara
"Thank you mom, and thank you dad. You both have been so supportive of my time learning my trombone, and you've always helped me when things popped up for band like getting me to concerts, and so fourth. I really love you guys and I am very happy you're letting me go on this trip, it means a lot."
Aiden Smith
"Thank you so much mom and dad for supporting me in the band and letting me go to Chicago. Without you I couldn't do any of the things I do right now. Thank you so much."
Arjun Gundimada
Low Brass
"Thank you so much Mom and Dad. You guys have helped me so much to be a better player and a better person. You guys' support has helped me so much. From waking up at 5:50 in the morning to driving across Austin to watch me perform. Thank you so much for always being there for me."
Melaya Denkhaus
"I would like to thank my band directors. They are great teachers and are always so kind and caring. I also want to express my gratitude for my parents, who are my biggest cheerleaders and always support me. You are the reason I am here today. Thank you for everything."
Keerthy Dinesh
"Dear Mom & Dad, Thank you so much for everything! I am so grateful for all the opportunities support you've given me throughout the years. Thank you!!! Love, Violet"
Violet Keller
"Thank you mom and dad, for supporting me through band and through all the struggles of carrying the tuba. Thank you."
JD Mata
Percussion
"Thank you Mom, and Dad for bringing me 20 minutes back and forth even in the morning. Thank you, for supporting me through all the challenges and everything in my way such as region, soccer, and marching band competition. I don't know if I can pay all that time back, but my way will be to break a leg at the concert. Thank you for everything you've done this year and my whole life. :)"
Samuel Amsalu
"Thank you for helping and always supporting me in band and school, especially Midwest this year. I know it takes a lot of time and effort to make this happen—from early rehearsal, helping me to pack for Chicago, and just being here with me when I’m stressed out. I’m thankful for you both and everything you do for me! Thank you so much!"
Luna Biggs
"Thank you so much for everything you have done for me this year! I know it has been stressful with all the activities I am doing and with all the work you have. But you made it work just for me, and I could not ask for better parents. Chicago is huge, and I know you have paid and planned things just to be there to see me perform. You have loved me and took care of me for a wonderful 12 years, and I hope you know how thankful I am. I love you to Pluto and back!"
Domenica Zea
"Thank you two for always being there for me and supporting me in anything I do. I’m so grateful for everything you guys have done, including taking me to all my events and practices, being patient and caring, and helping me become the person I am. You mean the world to me!"
Aubrey Oh
"Thank you to my mom and dad for helping me grow and learn so much over thirteen years. From life lessons to math equations, I could not be more grateful for all you taught me. From your perfect, amazing child, Elaine."
Elaine Zayra
"Dear Mom and Dad, thank you for supporting me throughout my experience preparing for Midwest and supporting my band career. Your support was amazing and very helpful for all the times I needed it, thank you."
Tristan Tang
"Dear Mumma and Papa, Thank you for being the best parents ever! I love you guys!"
