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The two were recommended for the honor by Kellogg Band Director Ken Bell, who admitted that - yes, Tori-Lynn is his daughter.
"I'm harder on her than on my other students," he said. "She's a lot better than I give her credit for sometimes. She's been a wonderful student. I'm very pleased with her efforts."
He's immensely proud of both students. They were chosen based on all their musical accomplishments so far, he said.
"They're both outstanding players. Ben is an outstanding student, in his practicing and in his dedication to the [school's] performance ensembles."
Bell said he has received information about the honor band music festival before, but this is the first year he's recommended students for the event.
"I happen to have two outstanding kids this year," he said. "It's rare to have two students of this caliber, and they were both accepted."
Benjamin and Tori-Lynn are both 14 years old and have been playing their instruments (he plays trumpet and she plays French horn) since fourth grade. They have both been in the Connecticut Northern Region Middle School Music Festival, which is based on auditions, for three years in a row.
"I just like the trumpet, you can play a lot of different styles with it," said Benjamin. "It's just something that appealed to me."
He plays in the Kellogg School's jazz band, symphony band, and brass quintet, and he also performs with the Hartt School of Music concert ensembles on Saturdays. He also enjoys playing the piano a little, as well as acting and singing, and was in a recent school production of "Annie."
Tori-Lynn said she chose the French horn because "it's a unique instrument and not a lot of people play it."
She plays in the school's symphony band, concert band, and brass quintet, and is also a member of the Hartt School's concert ensemble. When she's not making music, she enjoys horseback riding and baton twirling.
The Sousa honor bands are open to talented woodwind, brass and percussion players from grades seven through 12 throughout New England. Over 1,200 schools in Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island and Vermont were invited to recommend students for the special event and approximately 250 students were selected from the many applications received.
