 NEWS SEARCH |  |
|
| |
|
Lone Tree's Lihs enjoys Jazz and Ag
| | | | |
Lone Tree senior Julia Lihs always has some kind of beat going.
"I'll be out in the garden with my headphones on listening to a song and singing along and my parents will come out and hear me singing and they'll think: 'Why is she singing?'" said Lihs.
Julia Lihs, daughter of Jeff and Maria Lihs of Lone Tree, has been a stalwart member of the L-T band for the past four years, keeping time - being the "heartbeat" - and helping out wherever she's needed.
Lone Tree senior Julia Lihs always has some kind of beat going.
"I'll be out in the garden with my headphones on listening to a song and singing along and my parents will come out and hear me singing and they'll think: 'Why is she singing?'" said Lihs.
Julia Lihs, daughter of Jeff and Maria Lihs of Lone Tree, has been a stalwart member of the L-T band for the past four years, keeping time - being the "heartbeat" - and helping out wherever she's needed.
"Julia has been probably the most reliable person I've had in band for a long time," said L-T Band Director Rebekah Rusch. "She comes and helps any time we need her to come and help and she always helps to load and unload vehicles we take to competitions. She will learn any instrument I need her to learn for percussion and quickly. She always does her best."
Lihs can be seen at any L-T band or marching band event playing something - usually a drum or a bass guitar.
"I've been wanting to be a percussionist ever since I was probably in third grade when my sister was in band and I would go to concerts and watch the drummers play," said Lihs. "In fifth grade I loved learning the different beats and improving each year."
Lihs gets a lot of complements about her drumming style. She especially enjoys playing Jazz and competing at the Jazz Festivals with the band.
"Mrs. Rouch doesn't like it a lot, but usually when she gives me a piece of music I look at it once and then throw it behind me and come up with my own beat," said Lihs. "I enjoy playing the drum set because you're hearing the sounds and you think, 'Oh, I can do this here, and that there.' They say the drum is the heartbeat of the band so I like knowing I'm the heart beat and without me the band can't keep the beat going."
There's also an improvisational element in Jazz that appeals to Lihs.
"Eventually, the more you play with other people, you can improv and come up with a different beat," said Lihs. "It's bigger and better and people like the sound."
Lihs admits that she's not only into Jazz music, she'll listen to Country, Rock and Alternative too.
Getting into Agriculture:
While she's out singing in her vegetable garden, Lihs has another motivation in mind. After she graduates from L-T high school, she'll be joining her sister at Leigh at Iowa State and study Agriculture.
"I chose to go into Ag because I have a heart for agriculture," said Lihs. "The world revolves around agriculture. I'll be able to teach the younger generation about what agriculture is all about. Without education about agriculture many people wouldn't know were exactly their food comes from in the supermarket."
There have been a pair of Ag teachers at the L-T high school over the past four years.
"Reed Hawkinson was the one who got me into the FFA in my eighth grade year, teaching what FFA was about," said Lihs. "In my freshman year I learned about the history of agriculture and how the cotton gin made it easier for cotton pickers and the invention of the plow made it easier for farmers to plow the field."
This year Lihs is under the tutelage of Julie Crozier.
"I enjoyed my supervised agricultural experience which is something required for all Ag students," said Lihs. "Planting a vegetable garden and working on a construction project."
"In FFA I enjoyed participating in the CDDs which were Career Development Days," said Lihs. "You get to meet new people everywhere around the country and see people who are interested in the same things you are and it shows you that you're not the only person interested in this thing."
Lihs will be studying Ag in Ames, but she'll also be keeping her eyes on the bulletin boards for "Drummer Wanted" signs - so she can keep improving.
| |
©The Lone Tree Reporter 2010
| | |
| |
|
  | Send us your community news, events, letters to the editor and other suggestions. Now, you can submit birth, wedding and engagement announcements online too!
Copyright © 1995 - 2010 All Rights Reserved. |
|
