This weekend, students may have noticed an increase in the sound of music reverberating from McComas Hall as the annual MSU Honor Band Clinic was held. With over 240 high school students from schools in and beyond the state of Mississippi, the clinic offered numerous playing opportunities for those in attendance. The clinic featured three honor bands, a jazz ensemble and a percussion ensemble the students could audition for. These talented students then went on to rehearse anywhere from one to two and a half days before finally putting on a concert at the end of the event.  
This clinic’s roots go back to the 1950s, when students and band directors were able to experience new music compositions. Now, the clinic doubles as a recruitment event for the Famous Maroon Band and for Mississippi State University.  
Elva Kaye Lance, band director at MSU, said allowing band members to mingle amongst other students created a positive atmosphere for the program.
 “It gives them an opportunity to experience a whole new side of the band and school from what they normally see during football season,” she said.
Lance also mentioned this clinic is beneficial for the music education majors on campus because it allows them to meet new clinicians. 
This year, the Honor Band Clinic featured three guest clinicians from various universities across the country and each had the privilege to conduct one of three bands. Professor Anthony J. Maiello from George Mason University was over the Honor Wind Symphony. The clinician over the Maroon Band was Gary Barton, who is retired from his job as director. Regina Yates Raney, the final guest clinician, conducted the White Band and traveled from Cedar Ridge Middle School in Alabama, where she currently teaches. 
Among these three honor bands were two other special ensembles that performed Thursday night in McComas and served as the opening act for this weekend-long event. The Honor Percussion Ensemble performed first under the direction of the band’s very own Kent Baker. The group performed a single piece to open the concert and to make way for the Honor Jazz Band. The Honor Jazz Band, named in homage to Kent Sills, who started the jazz ensemble here at MSU, was under the direction of Associate Director of Bands Clifton Taylor. The ensemble performed several pieces, all of which featured several solos from the students.
“In symphonic rehearsal, I asked how many did the clinic in high school, and about two-thirds raised their hands. It’s a great recruitment event,” Taylor said.
A performance by MSU’s own jazz ensemble concluded the concert. As the event went on, the MSU Wind Ensemble did a performance of its own the following night. It played a variety of pieces from hymns to marches. Its concert featured several guest conductors, as well as an accordion solo by Maiello. 
Joshua Brown, freshman computer science major, said he attended the clinic last year as a senior from West Point High School. He said he was selected to play alto saxophone in the Maroon Band when he arrived as a freshman in the fall.
“At the time, I was set on going to State, but the clinic definitely solidified my choice to join the band here,” Joshua said.