Advertisement But through a program that allows the 17-year-old to take classes at the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse, he also plays his horn with the Screaming Eagles marching band.
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Onalaska High School senior Chris Miller stays plenty busy playing his trumpet, having joined the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse Screaming Eagles marching band this year.
Photo by Erik Daily |
“I play multiple times every day,” Miller said. “I really like playing an instrument and really like being with people who play instruments as well.
“The people in both groups are social and friendly and have a good time,” he said.
Miller started playing trumpet as a sixth-grader and has always been involved with the band. He chose the trumpet, he said, because he wanted to play “Star Wars” music and thought it was the instrument it took to play the notes.
“I learned to like it for other reasons,” he said. “I like the range of the instrument and how much style can be addressed through the horn. There are a lot of different sounds. It is an all-around solid instrument.”
Miller became interested in the Screaming Eagles band when he registered for Calculus II and General Chemistry II at UW-L through youth options. He said it seemed a natural fit to take the one-credit marching band course that didn’t require an audition.
The main difference Miller has noticed is that Onalaska does a lot of parades, while the university is focused on its field show.
He has been able to keep track of the two band’s music and has had to learn multiple field shows and parade routines. The Oktoberfest parade was the only time there was a conflict this fall. Miller chose to march with Onalaska because “as a senior, I felt that is where my responsibility was,” he said.
Miller still attends Onalaska High School during weekday mornings for physics, advanced placement literature, private study statistics and band. He also returns at the end of the day for extracurricular activities that include jazz combo, chemistry club and math club.
“One reason I really wanted to try and do this whole marching band thing is to show people that you can work hard and have a lot of fun,” Miller said.
The teen said he doesn’t have “solid college plans” but is interested in science and math.
