Don’t invite Libbie Milks to your New Year’s Eve party. She’ll be in Pasadena, California.
The Ada High School senior was recently selected to perform with the Bands of America Honor Band in the 2017 Rose Parade.
She will spend a week in southern California, where she will have rehearsals, performances at the Tournament of Roses Bandfest and Disneyland, special activities and a featured appearance in the world-famous parade.
Here’s how it came about:
Unknown to Libbie, Jonathan Lischak, Ada HS music teacher, submitted a tape of her playing the flute as part of the application process to be selected for the 300-piece band.
The selection committee was impressed and extended an invitation to her to play in the band.
“I was totally taken by surprise,” she said when her band director gave her the news. “I’m anxious, but excited about the opportunity.”
According to Lischak, several thousand high school musicians applied to be in the band. Libbie is one of 40 flutes selected.
While Libbie plays the flute in band, she also can play the saxophone, piccolo and piano.
Libbie hopes to study internal medicine or pharmacy after high school, but the pull of music is strong.
“I wish I could lead a split life. One life would be in music education. The other would be in the medical field,” she said.
And, while balancing music, Libbie is busy in lots of other activities. These include track, tennis, winter guard, quiz bowl, National Honor Society, student council and as a member of the Liberty Belles and Boys 4-H Club.
This is only the fourth time that Music for All’s Bands of America Honors Band will perform in the parade. The band also marched in 2013, 2009 and 2005.
Coincidentally, Lischak was a member of the first-ever Bands of America in 2005. He was a high school student at New Philadelphia at the time and played the baritone.
More about Bands of America
The BOA Honor Band is a 300-piece national ensemble with winds, percussion and a flag and dance team. Bob Buckner, who recently retired as director of the Western Carolina University Marching Band, will direct the 2017 BOA Honor Band.
Bands of America is a program of Music for All (MFA), one of the nation’s largest organizations in support of active music making.
The 5.5-mile Rose Bowl will be broadcast on ABC, Hallmark Channel, HGTV, KTLA (Tribune), NBC, RFD-TV and Univision. The parade is also seen in more than 200 international territories and countries.
