Oklahoma Band Director-Student Duo Honored with 2023 National High School Heart of the Arts Award

The National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS) has announced director of bands Adam Mewhorter and band member Casey Hubbard of Southmoore High School (SHS) in Moore, Oklahoma, as the recipients of the 2023 National High School Heart of the Arts Award.

The National High School Heart of the Arts Award was started by the NFHS in 2014. Over the past decade, the NFHS has utilized the honor to commend those individuals who exemplify the ideals of the positive heart of the arts and represent the core mission of education-based activities.

Hubbard, who was born with spina bifida and has endured more than two dozen surgeries in his lifetime, began his involvement in performing arts when he became a member of the Southridge Junior High School band in seventh grade. He chose the trumpet as his instrument and thoroughly enjoyed playing it, and ultimately looked forward to the day he would perform with the bands at Southmoore High School.

In addition to concert band and jazz band, Hubbard’s freshman year at SHS presented him with his first opportunity to explore marching band; and while he had a strong interest in taking part, he was apprehensive about the extent his wheelchair would allow him to participate.

Unbeknownst to him, Mewhorter had been thinking about how to include Hubbard in the Southmoore marching band ever since Hubbard picked up his trumpet two years earlier. His goal was to provide his incoming pupil with the full marching band experience, including the integral movement component, rather than resigning him to a stationary role on the sidelines.

Mewhorter arrived at a simple yet ambitious solution: he would work with choreographers to design drills – the placements and movements of the band throughout the show – that would allow him to push Hubbard around the field in his wheelchair while keeping him synchronized within the formation.

Most of Hubbard’s freshman marching season in 2020 was spent getting Mewhorter comfortable maneuvering the wheelchair, acclimating Hubbard to more aggressive handling and sudden turns, and discovering what was possible on the field. A seatbelt was installed on the wheelchair prior to Hubbard’s sophomore year that opened up additional capabilities including abrupt stops and the advanced “flutter” technique, which can sometimes require students to travel across the field at a high rate of speed.

Now a junior, Hubbard participated in every aspect of Southmoore’s on-field drills this past fall. In doing so, he was able to march in the prestigious Bands of America St. Louis Super Regional Championship and share in the excitement as the marching Sabercats qualified for the event’s evening finals performance for the first time in school history and placed in the top 10.

During Southmoore’s Oklahoma Secondary School Activities Association (OSSAA) regional marching contest, an inspired event judge posted a video of Hubbard and Mewhorter’s teamwork that became a viral sensation and gained the attention of hundreds of media outlets including Good Morning America and “The Daily Oklahoman.”

Hubbard continues to navigate a daunting schedule of surgeries, already having completed a major spine surgery this school year with a spinal fusion for severe scoliosis coming this spring. After his most recent procedure, Hubbard’s top-of-mind question for the neurosurgeon was, “when can I start playing my trumpet again?”

Aside from his exemplary commitment to maximizing participation opportunities for every single one of his students, Mewhorter has established a culture of excellence as Southmoore’s director of bands. The 2017 Oklahoma Bandmasters Association (OBA) Band Director of the Year and a winner of multiple local and state ‘teacher of the year’ awards, Mewhorter has led his bands to 20 OSSAA Sweepstakes Awards and has conducted four Oklahoma Music Educators Association honor groups, and has turned the Southmoore marching band into a regular finalist at the Oklahoma Bandmasters Association State Championship.

About the Award

In addition to Mewhorter and Hubbard as the national recipients, the NFHS National High School Heart of the Arts Award Selection Committee chose six section winners – five students and one activities leader. Profiles for the 2023 National High School Heart of the Arts section award honorees are below.

Section 1 – Luke Vazdauskas, student, Brunswick (Maine) High School

In the spring of 2020, as the nation was being shut down due to the COVID-19 virus, Vazdauskas was diagnosed with lymphoma. Throughout this battle, however, he never lost his sense of optimism, maturity and determination. While enduring chemotherapy and going to countless medical appointments, Vazdauskas continued full participation in all ensembles offered at Brunswick High School. He could no longer play soccer due to his illness, so he became a multi-activity student, and fully immersed himself in music. Vazdauskas even played a remarkable role in upgrading recording and music equipment to improve the sound of his music through the Make-a-Wish Foundation, through which he also got to meet one of his favorite artists, Spose.

Section 2 – Jamison Abshire, student, Caroline County (Virginia) Caroline High School

Abshire has grown not only as a musician throughout high school, but as a person. Coming into high school, Abshire was described as someone who kept to himself and was particularly uninvolved in school activity programs. Nowadays, Abshire is described as a leader, a creative person, and someone who engages in everything that he does as a teenager, including working a part-time job. Theatre has played a critical role in this transition, improving his communication skills, creativity and performance. Abshire’s passion and love for the arts has shown him that he can take on anything he sets his mind to with hard work, heart and a standard of excellence.

Section 3 – Sophie Araque-Liu, student, Stuart (Florida) Martin County High School (MCHS)

While Araque-Liu excels in classes like AP Calculus and Physics as one of MCHS’ “top senior students,” she has also created images, cartoons and impromptu art throughout her life. Araque-Liu was even featured on Google’s home page in 2022, when she entered her artwork “Not Alone” into the “Doodle for Google” art contest and won the grand prize package – a $30,000 college scholarship, a $50,000 technology package for her school, and the opportunity to have her design on the Google landing page for an entire day. Araque-Liu dedicated the artwork to her family and closest friends, saying, “it was a way for me to say, ‘thank you’ to my mom and the people I love for supporting me through everything.”

Section 4 – Charles Lettenberger, student, Glen Ellyn (Illinois) Glenbard West High School

While suffering from arthrogyrposis amyoplasia, Lettenberger continues to make a significant impact at Glenbard West High School. Although this very rare disorder confines him to a wheelchair with limited use of his arms and no use of his legs, Lettenberger is still involved in many activities at Glenbard West, including choir, theatre, National Honor Society and more. His continuous participation, sense of humor and optimism inspire those around him to treat every opportunity with determination and grace. An individual close to Lettenberger stated, “since his freshman year, he has been one of the strongest and most outspoken voices in our program where he continues to advocate for the arts alongside his very impressive academic resume.”

Section 5 – Laura Klaassen, choir/musical theatre director, Olathe (Kansas) East High School

As the choral director and director of musical theatre at Olathe East High School, Klaassen has been described as someone who makes a significant impact on every student that she comes in contact with. In her “Adaptive Music” class, Klaassen continues to provide opportunities for every student that enters her classroom, including individuals with severe disabilities. Even through the COVID-19 pandemic, her music programs prospered at Olathe East, as she found ways to keep students engaged and to continue their development through music. Klaassen also makes an effort to monitor her students’ mental health in addition to their musical progress and strives to help them grow – not only in the classroom, but in life.

Section 6 – Adam Mewhorter and Casey Hubbard, director of bands and student, Moore (Oklahoma) Southmoore High School

Section 7 – Kaci Thomas, student, Duchesne (Utah) High School

As a senior at Duchesne High School, Thomas’ involvement and love for high school activities motivates everyone around her. Thomas has been diagnosed with autism, but it does not impede her participation in cheerleading, track and field, and the performing arts. Thomas is continuously positive and shines in the spotlight for every team she is a part of. Throughout her high school experience, she has participated in the school musical each year, with key speaking and singing roles in every drama team production. As a team captain of her cheerleading squad, a leader on her drama team, and a participant in the homecoming pageant, her school spirit and devotion are contagious to everyone around her.

2023 State Winners

Arkansas – Baron Gilmore, performing arts administrator, Highland High School

Colorado – Genesis Ruano, student, Hinkley High School, Aurora

Connecticut – Riley Jimenez, student, Bunnell High School, Stratford

Georgia – Lucas Ward, student, Cook High School, Adel

Indiana – Joel Gernand, student, Elkhart High School

Massachusetts – Bethany Gibson, student, Marlborough High School

Minnesota – Lakia Manska, student, Morris Area High School

Mississippi – Jennifer Tillotson, retired music educator, Bovina Elementary School, Vicksburg

Nebraska – Lindsay R. Masin, performing arts administrator, Lincoln North Star High School

Rhode Island – Grace Greenslade, student, Mt. Hope High School, Bristol

South Carolina – Brooke Honeycutt, performing arts administrator, Greenville Technical Charter High School

Texas – Cy-Fair High School Marching Band, Cy-Fair High School, Cypress

NFHS member state associations submitted nominations for the award, which were reviewed by the NFHS National High School Heart of the Arts Award Selection Committee, composed of state association staff members. Section winners will be recognized within their respective states and will receive awards before the end of the current school year, while the national winners will be presented with their awards June 28 at the NFHS Summer Meeting in Seattle, Washington. Including this year, 11 individuals, one band and one theatre group have been chosen as national award winners.

The previous recipients of the National High School Heart of the Arts Award are listed below:

2014 – Leia Schwartz, student-athlete/performing arts student, Miami (Florida) Coral Reef High School

2015 – Ethan Gray, performing arts student, Chicago (Illinois) St. Rita of Cascia High School

2016 – Midland City (Alabama) Dale County High School Marching Band and Band Director Sherri Miller

2017 – Josephine Ross, student, St. Paul (Minnesota) Benilde-St. Margaret’s High School

2018 – Cecelia Egan, student, Riverside (Rhode Island) St. Mary Academy-Bay

2019 – LaRaine Fess, drama teacher at Beaufort (South Carolina) High School and the Beaufort High School Theatre Department

2020 – Cailin Martin, student, Newport (Rhode Island) Rogers High School

2021 – Kylen Running Hawk, student, Morris Area (Minnesota) High School

2022 – Lola M. Wade, theatre instructor, Pittsburg (Kansas) St. Mary’s Colgan High School