ASHLAND, Pa. — Melodies fill the band room at North Schuylkill Junior and Senior High School as musicians practice the songs they will perform at the Pennsylvania State Capitol in Harrisburg next week.
"We were all really excited to get the opportunity to go since like a lot of high school bands don't get to go to the Capitol, and we get to showcase our musical talents," said junior Emilee Moore.
This isn't the only concert band from Schuylkill County going. Members of the Shenandoah Valley Junior and Senior band will also perform at the Capitol at the end of the month, a first for the school district.
"I didn't expect us to get it because we're such a small, secluded school, and I didn't think they would reach out to us at all," said Shenandoah Valley senior Andrea Velazquez.
This gig is also a first for the band directors and brothers John and Jacob Shoener. John directs the band at Shenandoah Valley, while Jacob directs the band at North Schuylkill.
Both bands were chosen to perform in Harrisburg for Music In Our Schools Month, which is meant to showcase how essential music programs are to schools.
The Shoener brothers say this performance allows them to advocate for music education.
"It's definitely an opportunity of a lifetime and for them to promote music education and show them how hard we work here at Shenandoah Valley," John Shoener said.
"I always joke with the kids that I spend more time with them than my own family, which is probably true. And it's certainly a labor of love, putting in many hours before and after school, teaching them before or after and having rehearsals late into the night or early in the morning," said Jacob Shoener.
While it's a special moment in their music careers, both say it's a great memory they can make for their students.
"It's neat not just for us, but to just give the kids the opportunity in both bands to be able to perform, like I said, in front of a new audience. And for me and my brother, it was something we've always wanted to do," John Shoener explained.
"There's still a lot of brotherly love, a little competition here or there, but it's all about the kids and them making sure they have a great time," added Jacob Shoener.
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