Emmert receives the Errett & Mazie Warner Presidential Award and the Helen J. Krehbiel Music Scholarship

Abigail Emmert loves music.

She loves listening to all kinds of music.

She also loves performing music and putting her own spin on it.

“Music is a way to communicate to people without using words and there are so many possible ways to perform and shape the music to one’s own desire,” Emmert said.

Emmert is a 2016 graduate of St. Joseph-Ogden High School. She currently studies music educate with an instrumental focus at Eastern Illinois University and participates in the Panther Marching Band where she is co-drum major.

During her sophomore year, Emmert served as flute section leader. As that season came to a close, she applied and auditioned to be drum major and was chosen from a pool of candidates. Emmert served as drum major at SJO as well.

Emmert said at the in high school, marching band had a competitive factor and the musicians only worked on one show per season.

“In college, the band is more for the entertainment of the football crowd and representation of the university at pep rallies and parades,” she said.

The Panther Marching Band performs multiple shows each season.  

“Because of these factors, drum major conducting in college can be a little less strict and more energetic for the entertainment of the band members and the football crowd, which is really fun,” Emmert said.

Emmert said she is happy she gets to continue to perform in marching band in college.

She said she enjoys being on the leadership team of the Panther Marching Band and teaching and helping people become better musicians and marchers.

“I also really enjoy conducting and being a representative of the band and EIU,” she said.

Emmert said she chose EIU because of the quality of the music department and the education department. Plus, everyone on campus was friendly and welcoming.

Emmert said that some people may think marching band is easy, however it requires the musicians to play their instrument well, memorize the music, and do march in perfect posture from formation to formation.

Marching band requires several hours of rehearsal every week and takes up most weekends in the fall for football games.  

As a music education major, Emmert does not have much down time. Her typical day is filled with practicing her flute and secondary instruments, attending classes and rehearsals, and doing homework.  In addition to being co-drum major, Emmert is Vice President of the National Association for Music Education EIU Chapter and principal flute of the EIU Wind Symphony.

“I also spend a lot of time preparing for these activities as well,’ she said.   “Marching band rehearsals are every other day for about two hours in the afternoon.”

The large crowds the marching band performs in front of do not bother Emmert.

In 2015 she performed in the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade in New York City.

Emmert was among 185 musicians chosen to perform in the Macy’s Great American Marching Band.

In addition to everything else she does, Emmert is a Music Student Ambassador at EIU. Student Ambassadors give tours to prospective students while answering their questions about the program and the school.

In May, it was announced that Emmert received the Errett & Mazie Warner Presidential Award and the Helen J. Krehbiel Music Scholarship.

The presidential award established scholarships in 17 fields of study by Errett Warner, an EIU alumnus.

The awards are made annually to outstanding Eastern students enrolled in the designated programs. Areas included in the Presidential Awards are Athletics, Biological Sciences with Botanical Sciences concentration, Biological Sciences with an Environmental Biology option, Biological Sciences studying Animal Systems, Educational Administration, Elementary Education, English, Geology/Geography, Higher Education, History, Journalism, Mathematics, Music, Pre-Legal Studies, Pre-Medical Studies, and Physical Education.

The scholarship is awarded to a music student.

After college, Emmert hopes to teach high school marching band and music, especially marching band.

She said she thinks being co-drum major has helped her put her teaching style into practice as she lead sectionals and taught marching fundamentals.

Emmert said she enjoys performing before football games, enjoyed watching the improvement and  growth of the members in the band throughout the season and is looking forward to EIU’s last game because the Panther Marching Band is hosting many high school students for band day weekend.

“I am excited to show them what the college band experience is like,” she said.