Junior Nathan Cockrell and his brother freshman Matthew Cockrell both made the district jazz ensemble band.

“I think it’s really awesome for him and, to make it as a freshman is even better,” Nathan said. 

“I feel cool about him making it because now he can help me more,” Matthew said. 

Nathan first started playing the clarinet in the fifth grade but now as a junior he plays a variety of instruments. Like the tenor sax, alto sax, clarinet and piano. But he got interested in music because his mother had a piano that he would press the keys on. 

“To me music is a way of communication, it’s the biggest thing I would put it as like a language,” Nathan said. 

Matthew also joined band, playing the trombone, in fifth grade.  He doesn’t play any additional instruments, but he credits his interest in music to Nathan. 

“He was good at his instrument, so it kind of inspired me,” Matthew said.

The audition was the same for the both of them. They both played “Work song”and  “Unit Seven” at 150 beats per measure ending the audition with a chromatic scale.