Republic senior Brady Purcell is familiar to many Tiger fans as a member of the cross country and track teams, but he has made his mark on the Republic band program. Purcell recently performed as part of the All-State Band organized by the Missouri Music Educators Association.
Becoming an All-State performer has been a goal of Purcell throughout high school. He auditioned as a sophomore and junior, and thinks he barely missed the cut last year. This year, he was surprised to learn he’d made it after his audition.
“I thought I messed up pretty bad, but I ended up getting second chair, which is way better than I thought I ever could have gotten,” he said. “It was so nice to see that goal finally be accomplished.”
The process of auditioning — and of making the team when he didn’t feel he gave his best performance — boosted Purcell’s confidence heading into the All-State auditions and performance.
“I felt more prepared going into the performing ensemble itself, just knowing that these really intelligent people thought that I was the second best there that day,” he said.
The band was conducted by Colonel Don Schofield, Commander and Conductor of the United States Air Force Band. Purcell said it was a musically challenging weekend for him and the other participants.
“We performed really, really difficult songs. It’s not like anything that high schoolers normally do. And it was super challenging, but once we finally performed on Saturday, it was the most rewarding performance I’ve ever had.”