Kirbyville band member wins state competition!

A Kirbyville High School Senior has received coveted placement in band in region, area and state competitions and was the first Kirbyville student in 25 years to do so!

18-year-old Elisha Lamey of Kirbyville is a French Horn player at KHS and was selected as a member of the 2024 ATSSB All-State Band. He was chosen for this honor in competitive auditions held this year across the state at region and area levels.

Elisha recently competed at Region 10 and received 1st place out of 18 players! Only the top four players from a given region will advance to Area. (There will be a concert on January 20th in the Silsbee High School Auditorium at 6pm.)

At the Area Competition, Lamey received 2nd place out of 16! There are four 'areas' in Texas, made up of several regions. The top two players from a given area advance to state. 

There are eight players that will make state across Texas. A chair test audition will take place while at state to determine chair order and the final ranking. 

There will be a concert held on February 10th in the Lila Cockrell Theatre at 9am.

In a press release, The Association of Texas Small School Bands said, "We are pleased to announce the selection of the 2024 ATSSB All-State Band. More than 10,000 high school band students from across Texas auditioned in twenty-two different regions for a place in their respective all-region bands. The top chairs in each region advanced to one of the five area auditions held this past weekend across the state and only 286 of these students were selected for all-state honors."

Lamey is a student of Brad Long, Eric Diaz, and Daniel Golan

and plays the French Horn at school under the direction of Brad Long, who is a member of the Association of Texas Small School Bands, a 1400-member group of band directors in class 1A, 2A, 3A, and 4A

high schools in Texas. This is his first time to perform as a member of the ATSSB All-State Band.

His other interests at school include Criminal Justice Club and National Honor Society. He is also active in church activities at New Covenant Assembly of God and enjoys being a part of the church's worship team where he plays drums, bass, and guitar as well.

Elisha's future plans are to attend Stephen F. Austin State University and he hopes to earn his “Bachelor’s in Music Education (Winds/Brass/Percussion) with a Concentration on French Horn”. He begins classes in the Fall of 2024.

Elisha said, "While in college, I plan on playing in the SFA wind ensemble, marching band, and orchestra. After I graduate college, I aspire to become a high school band director. I think I will be comfortable at a high school for some time. But I think I ultimately want to end up being the dean of fine arts and/or head director of bands at a college."

Of the audition, Elisha said, "After I left my audition room, I was SURE I didn’t make the cut. I did not do as well as I was capable of and overall, I was disappointed in myself. Shortly afterwards, Mr. Diaz told me that the results had been posted. As we were walking to where the result sheets were located, I told him that I was pretty confident that I made 4th or 5th place. We finally arrived where the results were. I walked up to them. Calm. Steady heartbeat. No redness in the face. I started from the bottom of the list and drugged my finger through the list, going to the top. My index finger grazed over the names of wonderful horn players that I had been competing with in these sorts of competitions for the past 6 or so years. Where was mine? I continued up the list until I saw it. 2nd, Elisha Lamey, Kirbyville HS (3A), All-State." Excited, Lamey continued, "A wave of shock, joy, and disbelief washed over my entire body. The first in 23 years. I turned around with eyes filled with tears to the face of an excited Mr. Diaz, opening for a hug. I accept it." 

A High School Honor Society Member throughout all four years at KHS, Elisha stated that this was easily the most important day of his entire band career. "Everything that I had done starting in 6th grade rippled its way into my audition that day. Every day, every class, every hour, minute, and second of practice for the last seven years. I look back to the little boy walking into the band hall and picking up his horn for the first time, not sure of what lies ahead. I look back to the moment that the little boy first fell in love with music. And I look to now. The little boy has grown up and accomplished everything that he has wanted to. I am very proud of myself for what I accomplished at area and all of the other things that I have done throughout my time at Kirbyville High School." 

Elisha's parents are Tobey Lamey and Victoria Talbert. Step father: Josh Boyd, and step mother Courtney Lamey. He has one brother, Joshua Boyd and two sisters, Emmalee and Adeline Lamey. And Grandparents Toney and Lisa Lamey.