The Ventura County Honor Band welcomed five Oak Park students this year, breaking the previous school record of two students. The VCHB performed at a concert Feb. 28 at Ventura High School.

The students who participated in this year’s VCHB are euphoniumist and senior Nathaniel Driggs, tenor saxophonist and freshman Samantha Heller, flutist and freshman Dev Jasuja, percussionist and sophomore Peter Ye and clarinetist and sophomore Ray Zhang.

“It just makes me so proud. I’m very excited for them and for the whole department and even those that did an audition,” band director Zachary Borquez said. “I’m super proud of them for trying. It’s a victory for everybody.”

Eighteen students from Oak Park auditioned. The audition comprised playing five scales, a prepared piece and a sight-reading piece before a panel of judges.

Oak Park was just one of 22 schools that auditioned to be in VCHB.

“I was shocked and really surprised [that I was chosen],” Jasuja said. “After I auditioned I thought I wasn’t going to get in, but I did. It was wonderful.”

Prior to the concert, the students were already looking forward to rehearsing with the county-wide band.

“There are going to be a lot of great players there,” Heller wrote in a text message. “I think it’s going to be a great learning experience and a great way to meet new people.”

Participating students had the opportunity to meet musicians from other schools.

“I met a lot of new people and a lot of friends that I’m still kind of keeping in contact with,” Ye said. “That’s probably the best part … the people and the band.”

This year, Zhang — who has been a part of the VCHB since the seventh grade and the All-State Honor Band since the eighth grade — was also selected to be in the All-National Honor Band as a second-chair clarinetist.

“I feel very excited and happy auditioning into these bands,” Zhang wrote in an email. “They proved my hard work, gave me more confidence and encouraged me to continue working hard.”

As for the concert itself, Driggs described it as a transcendental experience.

“It totally felt like [my section and I] were playing as one instrument,” Driggs said. “It felt like the instrument was playing me, or like sound was being sucked out of it.”

There was one minor problem at the concert, according to Driggs.

“[The concert] was really sweaty. I wore glasses that day [and] my glasses were like the loose glasses, so when it got all sweaty it started slipping off my face,” Driggs said. “I couldn’t see the music score or the conductor so I kind of had to slouch.”

Ye said he looks forward to reuniting with his new friends from VCHB in the future.

“I actually went into withdrawal when I went back to the Oak Park band room and I was pretty disappointed for a bit,” Ye said. “[But I] can’t wait for next year.”