Lily Mitchell

Northwestern University
Percussion Performance and Social Policy

Lily Mitchell, senior, walks onto the football field with her snare drum, lining up with the rest of the drumline. She begins to march, in sync with the lively music surrounding her. She joins the rest of the ensemble as they travel across the sunlit turf.

Mitchell said she saw band as a new opportunity to have fun and meet new people. This year, she is a part of KHS’ brass choir and is in the orchestra pit for the school musical, “Something Rotten.”

Mitchell said her percussion teacher, Alison Smith, was one of the reasons why she applied to Northwestern University. Her guidance helped her grow as a musician.

“[She] mentioned the percussion director at Northwestern, [which] intrigued me. That’s also [part of] why I decided to do music at Northwestern,” Mitchell said. “Seeing what more there is to do with music inspired me to see what it would be like in college.”

Mitchell’s friend Nina Teckman, senior, met her during the summer of their junior year. They both worked on Deb Lavender’s campaign for Missouri state representative.

“We started hanging out one-on-one over the summer. She’s super nice, [and] I feel like she’s become a lot more confident [in high school].” Teckman said.

Along with work, Teckman said school is more fun with Mitchell around. She appreciates her funny personality and calmness.

“She’s a fun person to work with,” Teckman said. “Having classes with her just makes class more enjoyable because you can goof around and have fun with her. She also knows how to get work done.”

Mitchell said her advice for other musicians would be to practice music frequently. She said it helps the whole band sound better when playing together.

“It trains your ear better so then you become better at your instrument as a result,” Mitchell said. “Practicing and being aware of everyone and not just your specific part goes a long way.