Every November, student musicians, conductors, composers, and soloists from around the world gather for four days of learning and playing together at the Western International Band Clinic (WIBC) in Seattle, Washington.
This year, Eva Cohen (‘28) and William Sun (‘27) will be representing Belmont High School at the clinic, rehearsing with an honors band, attending concerts, and playing alongside world-class musicians.
“It’s just an incredible opportunity, getting to play with awesome musicians from around the world, around the country, and at the same time getting to work with real professional, top-level people in the field,” said Cohen.
Cohen fell in love with the tuba for the instrument’s low and versatile tonal range.
“I just love making music,” she said. “I think it’s a really worthwhile thing.”
Sun began playing the saxophone in middle school, after playing the piano since age 5.
One of Sun’s favorite parts of playing the saxophone is the challenge it offers him to improve his musicianship.
“I’ll put in effort, time, and hard work to try to improve just a couple of notes and one measure maybe,” he said. “The feeling is really, really rewarding.”
Clinic Origins
Belmont High School’s Band Director Allison Lacasse has been helping organize WIBC since 2020, a couple of years after she completed a master’s program in band education from the American Band College of Central Washington University in Ashland, Oregon.
This year, WIBC is in its 46th year.
Lacasse’s role is to connect with the 600 high school student participants and support students if they encounter any challenges throughout the weekend.
The clinic also gives Lacasse the opportunity to learn from the guest composers, conductors, and soloists.
“I’m able to connect with some of the best composers, people that are leaders in the band field, from Friday to Monday, get to know them as friends and colleagues, and most importantly, all day long, learn from them,” she said.
“So I come back here to Belmont full of motivation to use everything that I learned right there with our kids,” she added.
One of the renowned brass soloists Cohen and Sun will be playing with at the festival, Patrick Sheridan, will also be visiting the Belmont High School band this coming December.
Lacasse is dedicated to continuing to encourage students to participate in band clinics throughout the year and to bringing musicians to Belmont.
“That ultimately is my responsibility — to give [students] as much opportunity to see what the band world can do for [them] as a person,” she said.
Student Experiences
Sun, who also attended the clinic last year, hopes to continue deepening his knowledge of how the composers and conductors approach music-making.
“I learned a lot from a lot of these composers and conductors, and basically what their take on leadership was,” he said. “This year I want to go back because I still have some more questions that I want to ask them.”
Cohen also looks forward to playing with band students from around the world — hailing from Australia, Canada, and across the U.S.
“I’m excited to get to play with a lot of high-level people that I’m just not going to usually meet in Belmont,” she said.
The connections students make with one another is a definite highlight of the clinic, according to Lacasse.
“What I have heard in our reflection time after [past clinics], is just how how cool it is that you can get on the airplane, have a folder full of music in your bag, and take your instrument out in a rehearsal ballroom with most people that you don’t know, and be able to communicate, collaborate, share so much … sit in a concert together, [and] make friendships,” she said.
The clinic also provides opportunities for students to envision their lives as musicians beyond high school by hosting a “college night,” during which participants can learn about collegiate band programs.
“I think it just really has opened up everyone’s minds and eyes and ears to what’s available outside of our town,” Lacasse said.
Although traveling across the country and rehearsing for days on end can be exhausting, Lacasse said attending the clinic is well worth the effort.
“It really does give everyone involved a sense of connection to each other,” she said. “We really need that in the world right now.”
More information on the clinic can be found at https://bandworld.org/WIBC/.
