Name: Nolan Koons 

Grade: senior

Fine Art: band

Years of Experience: seven  

Wingspan: What instrument do you play? 

Koons: “I play the French horn.”

Wingspan: How do you prepare for band rehearsals and performances? 

Koons: “I prepare for rehearsals by making sure I have all my equipment and that everything is ready. I make sure that all the other people in my section are ready. I pray before performances, making sure I know all my music and that my instrument works, that’s pretty important.”

Wingspan: What do you enjoy most about being in band? 

Koons: “I would say I enjoy the people the most. They are pretty amazing. Everybody is very, very friendly, and everyone gets along very well.”

Wingspan: How do you balance your personal life and commitments like wrestling while also being part of band?

Koons: “So I have to section out each part of my day, and sometimes my week, to commit to one or the other. After school, rehearsals are for band, and since we’re in band season, I have to prioritize that. If I wanted to go to a club wrestling later, I would go after band rehearsal, and usually wrestling is also in the morning. It really works out perfectly. I have wrestling in the morning, school throughout the day, and band at night, so I don’t have to worry about either of them clashing. For my schoolwork, I find time on weekends or during the school day to focus on that.”

Wingspan: What advice would you give to someone interested in joining band?

Koons: “I would say do it. Join band and you won’t regret it, because it makes you a different person, like it’s made me a different person. You find people who care about you a lot, and it’s an activity you’ll have fun doing if you join. Don’t worry about having to balance other things with it, because you can always communicate and talk it out with the directors. I would say do it, even though it is a big time commitment.”