Bluffs Middle School Names 10 to All-State Band
Ten students from Bluffs Middle School were selected for the Nebraska State Bandmasters Association's 2026 Eighth Grade All-State Band.
Updated on Nov. 6, 2026 in Secondary Education
The Nebraska State Bandmasters Association selected 10 Bluffs Middle School musicians for its Eighth Grade All-State Band, chosen from 419 auditions representing 49 schools across Nebraska. The selected students are members or alternates across trumpet, saxophone, clarinet, trombone, flute, and percussion.
Why it matters
The selection recognizes competitive statewide musical achievement among eighth graders and reflects 26 years of Bluffs Middle School participation in the ensemble. It gives students in the state a benchmark for advanced instrumental performance.
The NSBA selected 93 members and 22 alternates from 419 auditions representing 49 schools across Nebraska. Bluffs Middle School has participated in the ensemble for 26 years, and ten of its students were chosen this year.
The players
Nebraska State Bandmasters Association
The statewide organization of band directors that runs the Eighth Grade All-State Band selection and clinic program.
Bluffs Middle School
The Nebraska middle school whose ten students were selected for this year's Eighth Grade All-State Band.
The details
Students were selected by recorded audition for the Eighth Grade All-State Band. The selected Bluffs Middle School students are Dominic Alsidez, Kathryne Billingsley, Calvin Blumert, Coraline Burns, Lincoln Graesser, Avery Holmes, Faith Langer, Jaxson Liebich, Ivy Mosel, and Lydia Rugroden.
Timeline
November 6, 2026: NSBA announces the 2026 Eighth Grade All-State Band selections.
January 9, 2027: The 2027 NSBA 8th Grade All-State Band clinic is held at Kearney High School in Kearney, Nebraska.
Season Trajectory
The NSBA's annual Eighth Grade All-State Band program continues to draw competitive audition pools from schools statewide. This year's 419 auditions across 49 schools extend that recurring cycle of statewide selection and the January clinic at Kearney High School.
Students selected for the ensemble will spend time in a statewide clinic at Kearney High School on January 9, 2027. Families of eighth graders in Nebraska can use the NSBA's audition system as a benchmark for advanced band participation.
The takeaway
Recognition like this shows how sustained school band programs can produce statewide-level musicians at the middle school stage. Students interested in advanced ensembles can look to the NSBA's audition process as a practical goal.
What happens next
The 2027 NSBA 8th Grade All-State Band clinic will be held at Kearney High School on January 9, 2027.
Further reading
For more on statewide student programs, browse Secondary Education coverage.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Star-Herald.
