Congratulations to Coda Gahris, who was awarded one of only five percussionist slots in The Ohio State School of Music for the 2023-2024 academic year!
He began playing in fifth grade and has always had an insatiable drive to achieve the musical goals he sets for himself. One such goal was learning high school music at the start of junior high. His dream of attending OSU and playing for TBDBITL began in eighth grade after watching Seneca East’s high school band play at the Buckeye Invitational.
He credits many at Seneca East for this incredible achievement, including his former director, Mrs. Dana Willman-Leber. He said she was great at getting the best player out of him and was integral to developing his passion for music.
“She taught me all of my fundamentals that set me up for being a great performer,” he said. “She has always encouraged me to be my best, and even in retirement, continues to attend all of my events at Seneca East and Ohio State.”
Gahris’ current director, Mr. Tyler Schultz, has also given him opportunities to excel by allowing him to arrange music and teach younger students. The Seneca East Music Boosters, office staff, and administration have also shown their encouragement and invested in his musical aspirations by encouraging him. In fact, his teachers and principal helped clear his schedule the week of auditions so he could stay focused on the task at hand.
In the fall, he will study Instrumental Music Education as a Buckeye. He plans to teach high school band post-college, and eventually earn his doctorate from The Ohio State University and teach music at the collegiate level.
While Gahris said it feels good knowing all of the stress and work has been worth it, he always has another goal in mind. One thing he’s learned from his experiences and hopes to one day pass on to his students is that “if you work hard enough and dedicate enough time to something it will pay off in the end.”