DeKALB – It’s been almost four months since Amboy senior Gloria Parker played the flute at the Illinois Music Educators Association Junior & Senior Concert Festival on Saturday, Nov. 16 at DeKalb High School.

However, once a great memory, always a great memory. In her case, there is a bunch.

“It was a lot of fun. There were a lot of kids there, so it was a little overwhelming,” Parker said. “With the level of talent and how much talent was there, I felt like I shouldn’t have been there. The kids were so good. It made you think that I must be good also.

“Where I was sitting, I was able to hear parts I normally don’t hear. It was so fun to hear all the different music and do something I love with all of these other band nerds.”

Parker will remember the experience.

She remembers the hard work to get there.

Others will help her recycle the memory because while she was in DeKalb the rest of the Amboy High School Band was playing at the IHSA Class 1A and Class 2A State Volleyball Tournaments at Illinois State University.

“In my opinion state is pretty cool, but I know I worked hard to get to ILMEA. If I wanted to be there, I should go,” said Parker, who has been playing the flute for seven years.. “It was still weird that I wasn’t with our band at state. I was the only high school student from Amboy at ILMEA. There were junior high kids, so they had each other, but I didn’t have anyone with me.

“I recognized one girl from another school, but I don’t talk to her. She was the only familiar face I saw. I was just out there with a whole bunch of strangers. We were just there for one reason.”

The Junior & Senior Concert Festival is ILMEA’s version of a sectional in a high school sports IHSA schedule.

They played five songs, which were sent to Parker and AHS Band Director Travis Kemmerer a month before the concert. Parker didn’t know any of the pieces.

She learned quick.

“I know I made my parents, Megan and Jeremiah Parker, proud. They love music. It’s their favorite thing that I do. Seeing that my parents were so excited, that felt good,” said Parker, who’s favorite song was “Folk Song of Midu.”  “It made me feel good with how many people were there for me. I have a pretty big support system. There were a lot of people who were happy for me, and that feels pretty good.”

Parker doesn’t know exactly what she wants to do in college, but she knows where she is going, Oral Roberts University in Tulsa, Okla.

Kemmerer hopes she finds a way to play her flute.

“I’m proud of her. She worked really hard to get into ILMEA. It’s not something that is easy to get into,” said Kemmerer, who drove from Bloomington to Amboy to DeKalb on November 16. “It was definitely one of my proudest moments as a band director. Gloria wanted this and she was determined this year. I gave her the music, I sat down with her and went over it, but she did most of the work herself. That’s what makes me prouder is she put in the time, the work, the effort, the commitment, and it paid off.

“That’s all I can ask from a student. She worked hard and she received the award for working hard.”