August 4, 2026 Local Stories in and Around St. Joseph, Illinois

Get to know to know SJO Senior Marching Band member Maya Hewkin

My favorite thing about marching band is the connection between the students. Being in band is like being a part of a huge family, and I’ve met all of my best friends from being involved in marching band

My favorite memory from marching band was a competition last year where we won every award for our class. I forget which competition it was exactly, but we received the awards for best winds, best percussion, best color guard, and first place for our class.

My favorite piece to perform was last year’s marching show, “Captiv.” The music wasn’t necessarily better than any other I’ve performed, but last year’s show was the first one where I got the chance to march the bass clarinet. The music felt special to me because it was very different from what I had played before.

Last year’s show had my favorite costume. I liked the way that it looked more than other costumes, but it also felt like the most practical in a way. The costume wasn’t very hot, so there weren’t many issues with people overheating in costume, but it was very easy to layer under it and stay warm during cold performances.

The biggest misconception people have about marching band is that it isn’t very physically taxing. It’s hard carrying an instrument around! Especially for people like me who play big instruments, being able to march in time, while carrying an unwieldy instrument, and also having enough breath support to sound good is physically very difficult.

in Life, People
Banner
Related Posts

10 things you don’t know about me… Pastor Kim Dancey from Homer UMC

August 23, 2019

August 23, 2019

I am a friend and follower of Jesus and live in the wonder of his grace. I’ve been married to...

5 things you don’t know about me… Will Rubach

August 8, 2019

August 8, 2019

Will is in the running for the title of Little Prince! He is six years old. We asked him to...

10 things you don’t know about me… Kathy McCormick

May 13, 2021

May 13, 2021

What is your favorite childhood memory? Playing outside with the neighborhood kids – every summer day until dark. What was...

Setterdahl finds perfect fit at Clemson

May 18, 2019

May 18, 2019

Ben Setterdahl thinks he may be annoying people. The St. Joseph-Ogden senior, who is co-valedictorian, can’t stop talking about Clemson...

Work continuing on Rail Trail

June 27, 2022

June 27, 2022

Ogden, IL – The Champaign County Forest Preserve District is poised to construct 1.5 miles of the Kickapoo Rail Trail...

Senior Spotlight… Danie Kelso

August 5, 2019

August 5, 2019

Every week we ask a St. Joseph-Ogden senior five questions. This week we spoke to Danie Kelso. What do you...

Senior spotlight: Gage Atwood

May 16, 2019

May 16, 2019

Leading up to graduation, we asked five seniors five questions.Next up is Gage Atwood! What will you be doing next...

Spartan Spotlight… Lindsey Aden

April 8, 2020

April 8, 2020

St. Joseph-Ogden senior Lindsey Aden has big plans for her future. Aden, who lives outside of Royal, will be attending...

Kids Say

October 22, 2019

October 22, 2019

Every week we ask area students questions about being a farmer. This week we spoke to kids at PVO South....

Why is it important to keep your blood pressure under control?

April 9, 2021

April 9, 2021

By: Christie Clinic Department of Family Medicine What are some signs of high blood pressure and why is it important to...

Ogden Rose Library gets a facelift

September 6, 2022

September 6, 2022

The Ogden Rose Library is getting a facelift. The library is undergoing the first part of a remodel.Currently, new flooring...

SJO grad McElroy blossoms at Millikin, both in volleyball and in life

October 3, 2019

October 3, 2019

Marissa McElroy loves volleyball. And in turn, the sport has helped the St. Joseph-Ogden graduate love herself. The 6-foot-3 senior...

10 things you don’t know about me… Joe Hackney

September 27, 2024

September 27, 2024

1. What is a tv or movie you could watch over and over and why? Lately, I’m really looking forward to...

‘ B.J. was one who absolutely stood out’

September 10, 2021

September 10, 2021

We asked Matt Davidson, the former Legislative Director for the Illinois Municipal League for his thoughts on B.J. Hackler. Here...

Kids Say… St. Joseph Second Grade

March 22, 2019

March 22, 2019

Every week we ask five students from a local school to answer a question on a worksheet. This week the...

Comments
Leave a Reply