When Tyler Hancock joined the Montgomery County R-II band in sixth grade, he was really glad that he was picked as a percussionist.

“I didn’t want to sing and that was about it,” Hancock said.

Hancock wrapped up his six-year career with the R-II band on May 12 when he and his bandmates participated in the Spring Band Concert at the Montgomery County Middle School gymnasium on the evening of May 12. Hancock was the only senior in the band.

Four years ago, Hancock was one of numerous freshmen on the band.

“There were a lot of freshmen, probably 10,” Hancock said. “There were a lot of people and they just slowly started dropping out by my junior year.”

Hancock participated with the high school and eighth-grade band at the concert. They performed “Byzantine Dances,” “Down By The Salley Gardens” and “The Country Club Stomp.” Hancock was one of 84 members in the R-II band. They were orchestrated by Pam Walton, who substituted for Lauren Seifried as band leader due to medical reasons.

Hancock plays instruments such as the xylophone, marimba, vibraphone and the snare drum. His younger brother, Logan, who is a sophomore, is also a percussionist. Three other percussionists – Lucian Cowsert, Aundrea Smith and Dakota Williams – were named to the Eastern Missouri Conference band earlier this year.

“I like being a percussionist,” Hancock said. “I liked being able to hear how everyone else is doing from the back. I went into percussion because it sounded easy. I think it’s one of the easiest parts of the band.”

Hancock said working with the eighth-grade students was one of the highlights of his senior year.

“I feel like they did especially good this year, keeping up with what we want,” Hancock said. “Mrs. Walton had some high standards, but I do think we were able to meet them. I think that’s good. I think she might have known where we could go up to and she was pushing us to meet that.”

Hancock, who graduated from MCHS on May 18, plans to attend Ozarks Christian College this fall and major in accounting and creative arts ministry. He said he has high hopes for the R-II band in the future.

“I think Mrs. Seifried is going to expand,” Hancock said. “Her whole goal is to expand. She’s already going into the elementary school and playing songs for them. I think a lot of them will join band, so I’m expecting band to have a lot more numbers in these upcoming years.”