Nov. 5, 2025 marks the halfway point for the CHS band in their preparation for the Midwest Concert in December, an important event for the select band students performing at Midwest to show off their instrumental abilities at UMBC’s campus. 

The Midwest concert itself is a gathering of the top five high school bands in the country to perform in Chicago. 

The Midwest Clinic consists of 50 performances from students and professionals from across the world. In order to be considered for the event, schools must submit an application by early March. Competition for a spot is extremely intense, given the few spots available.

Applicants must abide by the strict criteria, some of which being: high resolution photos of the band’s roster and director, three evaluators of whom must be either prominent musicians or teachers and video recordings of audition pieces.

By mid April, the schools are notified of their acceptance or rejection. What was delivered to Centennial High’s email was an acceptance. 

A spectacular achievement and promising signal for the student musicians of the wind ensemble. It is clear as day that these students have a promising future in the field of music.

This isn’t the first time Centennial made it to Midwest, as recent as 2018, the high school band ventured to Chicago for its first time.

“This is kind of like our midway check point on our preparation for Midwest, it’ll be exactly six weeks out from our performance” David Matchim, CHS band director, said.

For everyone involved, this event puts on a lot of pressure. “It’s a rewarding experience, but not without stress,” he said.

Especially at the midway point, with only six weeks left to prepare, the wind ensemble is feeling the heat of anticipation.

Coordination is a key factor in any community, and a band is no exception. “We have 62 players, and getting 62 people to see eye-to-eye is a challenge.” Matchim said. 

Even getting two people to agree can be a struggle, so he certainly has a hefty weight on his shoulders.

“We haven’t been living in that music quite long enough,” Machtim informed.