The concert season has wrapped up for the seniors in band with one last graduation they will attend, this time not performing. Sharing their time within the program, I interviewed a few of the graduating seniors that have been involved in many musical ensembles.

Dylan Craft joined the band program in sixth grade, starting with percussion. Since then, he has tried out the saxophone, guitar, piano and has dabbled in singing.
When asked why he loves music, he remarked that there’s so much to say that it’s hard to say anything, but he loved the freedom of self expression.
“You can write music about whatever you want, and you don’t even have to say anything. You can just let the music speak for itself,” he said.
Dylan has been a part of symphonic band, jazz band, combo and two of his own separate bands: SteamTown Road and jazz combo group Reunion. He has also accompanied many orchestra and choir ensembles throughout his time at Hayes.
“Get inspired,” he said. “Listen to people who play your instrument and listen to people who don’t play your instrument. Listen to a lot of different kinds of music.”
As Dylan remarked, giving advice to future band students.
His favorite memory in band is his freshman spring concert performance of “The Nine” by Randall Standrige.
“That’s probably one of my favorite pieces that I have ever heard and or played,” he said. “It’s just a really beautiful piece, and… I just think it was really special.”
After high school, Dylan plans on attending Ohio Wesleyan University for a Bachelor of Arts in Music.

Nick Hejmanowski joined the band in sixth grade because of his family’s past involvement.
“At first, it was because my sibling had done it, and so I wanted to do it too, but then I actually started doing it and really enjoyed it,” Nick said.
Nick focuses on the trombone during concert season and marches the baritone horn.
Outside of the band program, he is involved in many choir ensembles, such as Men’s Ensemble, Glee Club, Symphonic Choir and Hayes Singers. He also is involved in Hayes Thespians and has regularly held lead roles in the past years.
“I just like making music. I think there’s a part of my brain that just likes making noise, but I also like the structure of it,” he said. “I don’t always like being the melody; I like being the harmony part and hearing how that fits in with the rest of things.”
Nick’s favorite memory is from this past summer’s band camp.
“I was a section leader and I had a shirt that I cropped a little bit every day, and so by the end of the week, I had cut off the sleeves and I had cropped it halfway up… I loved watching people just gradually catch on that I was cropping the same shirt,” he said.
Nick plans to attend the Ohio State University for engineering and hopes to continue doing both band and choir.

Hayden Stevens started drum lessons in fifth grade before continuing band into middle and high school.
“I joined the band program in sixth grade after the band fittings because I had started drum lessons the year before in fifth grade for drum set. [Then] Andy Doherty and some other directors came to Carlisle to see what instrument we wanted to play,” he said.
Outside of the band, Hayden is involved in choir and tennis and performs in the pit for the musicals. Along with participating in Tri-M, Thespians and other organizations, depending on the time of year.
Hayden said that the other participants in the bands have helped him over the years.
“Really, the friends I’ve gotten to make in percussion have kept me in it, and being able to be the base for what the band builds off of also keeps me engaged in it,” he said. “So I know that I have a job when I’m there, which is to provide for the band.”
Throughout the years at Hayes, band members have had two different high school directors aside from the directors in middle school.
“Seeing the different ways that each director has taught and learning different things from each of them has really shaped my music journey, and I’m appreciative of all the perspectives that I’ve been able to get throughout it,” he said.
Hayden plans to attend the University of Central Florida, pursuing a degree in mechanical engineering and will possibly join the band there.

The band program will lose a lot of seniors this year, with over 20 leaving their legacy to the memories of the students they have impacted in past years. However, many students are stepping into the high school next season in hopes of working towards bettering their skills and starting their own legacy to be remembered.