BHS band students attend prestigious event in Chicago

For 25 years Berryville High School band directors Doug and Tonya Blevins have been attending The Midwest Clinic, an international band and orchestra clinic in Chicago right before the Christmas holiday break.

The conference hosts more than 20,000 participants from all over the world. Student groups from all across the globe are selected to perform and band directors from around the world will attend this prestigious event held annually in the Windy City.

“I’ve always dreamed of taking students to The Midwest Clinic,” Tonya Blevins said.

The cost and audition process make it difficult to take the whole band. However, Tonya Blevins discovered there was an opportunity for smaller groups to perform at the entrance to the exhibit hall. After some communication with officials from the clinic, she invited students from the Berryville High School band who had previously been selected to the All-Region band. Eight students were able to attend the conference, which was held December 18-21 at The Mc-Cormick’s Place in Chicago.

“We were selected to perform at the grand opening of the exhibit hall on the first day of the conference,” Tonya Blevins said.

This performance time afforded the group the opportunity to play for well over 2,000 band directors, chaperones and students from all over the world.

“This was great exposure for Berryville and the state of Arkansas,” said Berryville High School band director Doug Blevins.

As various band directors posted pictures of the group on social media, many positive comments were made including one band director posting “Arkansas proud!”

While in Chicago the students were able to see several landmarks of the Windy City including The Willis Tower and Skydeck, the Bean in Millennium Park, the Art institute of Chicago, The Magnificent Mile and the Navy Pier. Students also got to taste local flavors such as the famous Chicago deep dish pizza and Chicago hot dogs. This was the first time any of these students have been to Chicago. The students’ outstanding performance just may warrant an invitation back next year, Doug Blevins said.

Michael Levine, director of the world-famous Dallas Brass, who has been friends with Doug Blevins for more than 20 years, took notice of the group as they played several songs he had arranged from his “Harmony Bridge” series.

Levine is working on a proposal to the Midwest Clinic Board of Directors that will include band students from Berryville. If the proposal is accepted, the students will be invited to perform in a clinic for the 2025 Midwest Clinic.

“Music opens all kinds of opportunities for students and we are very proud of our students here in Berryville,” Tonya Blevins said.