photo by: Joselyn King

Wheeling Middle School band director Kailey Filben leads the school’s steel band ensemble in preparations for a performance before the West Virginia Music Educators Association in March.

WHEELING — Steel drums at Wheeling Middle School soon will be heard in Charleston, and the spirit of former band director Buddy Filben might just be there with them.

The West Virginia Music Educators Association will host its annual conference March 5-7 at the Charleston Civic Center and Wheeling Middle School’s band has been selected to play at noon on March 6.

“We get an hour to play — just our steel band,” said band director Kailey Filben.

It will be the first time a middle school band from Ohio County Schools has participated in the event, according to school officials. It is also the first instrumental group to be selected from the school district.

The all-female steel band troupe was selected as an “X-Ensemble” pick to perform at the conference. X-Ensembles are unrelated to choral and band submissions.

Kailey Filben is the daughter of the school’s late former band director Buddy Filben and teaches in the same classroom that her father did. She explained it was just at the beginning of the last school year that she decided to try and restart the school’s steel band program the elder Filben once directed.

“Honestly, I think when you feel you have something with a musical group, you just kind of get a feel for that,” she said. “And this year’s group was just special from day one.

“I thought I could push these kids to their limits, and they’re just going to ask for more and more difficult opportunities.”

They became proficient enough that Filben thought it necessary to apply for the “X-Ensemble” selection at the WVMEA Conference.

“Yes, it is shocking that they came so far in such a short amount of time, but also with the kind of kids I have in the group I’m not surprised at all. … We’re hoping we can get some forward momentum and get some great things going.”

Student Mya Waldrum said she thought learning the steel drums “would be a fun thing to do.”

“I already play my flute in band, and I do chorus,” she said. “I thought it would be fun to just have something extra to do.

“Now that I do it, I very much like it.”

Olivia Timberlake said she was asked to join the ensemble last year, and thought, “Why not?”

“I already do the violin, percussion and choir. Why not add something else?” she said.

Timberlake acknowledged playing music will probably continue on to be a lifetime passion.

Kate Cronin also is involved in violin, chorus and percussion.

“I already do so many things,” she said. “I like music a lot, and it seemed like a good opportunity.”