In preparation for the Midwest Clinic, the Westwood Wind Ensemble held a sendoff performance of their Midwest program on Thursday, Dec. 14 at the Raymond E. Hartfield Performing Arts Center (PAC) before embarking on their journey to Chicago, where the clinic is held every year.

The Midwest Clinic is a prestigious festival where the best orchestras, bands, jazz groups, and instrument ensembles in the world gather to perform. Out of the hundreds of high schools that applied, Westwood got invited as a part of the only seven concert bands that will perform.

“We went through a blind audition process where we recorded some of our music that we were working on during UIL season,” Band Director Thomas Turpin said. “At this point, I’m just excited. These kids put so much effort and hard work into the music.”

The Wind Ensemble’s program was an hour and a half long with nine pieces, each differing in complexity. In the music world, a piece arranged for concert bands or orchestras can be categorized into six categories — where six is the hardest possible, and one is the easiest.

“Some of the pieces were really hard, [and] some [were] really easy,” Benjamin Nuccitelli ‘25 said. “We played a couple of grade sixes and a couple of grade ones. Overall, they were really fun to play.”

The Wind Ensemble will leave for Chicago on Tuesday, Dec. 19 and perform on Friday, Dec. 22.

Below is a list of the pieces the Wind Ensemble showcased: 

Boom goes the Dynamite by Paul Dooley

Byzantine Dances by Carol Brittin Chambers

Down the field by Stanleigh P. Friedman, arranged by Justin P. Vard

Jai Ete au bal by Donald Corantham

Liber Illuminare by Jack Wilds

Carribean Afterparty by Oliver Thomas

Above the Ground by Jose Igancio Blesa Lull

Anqiue Violences: IV the Curtain Calls by John Mackey

Symphony No. 3 by James Barnes