Nishanth Sukasi is completing his first year in the All State Concert Band. He auditioned and was accepted as one of eight alto sax payers this past fall. The band is a part of the Washington Music Educators Association and has approximately 200 members.

Nishanth is a junior at Tahoma High School and has been a part of school band programs since he was in sixth grade. He says he chose the alto sax in sixth-grade beginning band and “just had a knack for it.” He credits his junior high band teacher for inspiring him in the beginning and encouraging him to become involved in competitions. He credits his involvement in Tahoma band programs for giving him a better understanding of music by introducing him to music theory.

A first-generation American citizen, Sukasi feels that band programs have helped him to fit in at school over the years. Nishanth’s parents immigrated here from India. He and his family moved from Texas to Maple Valley at the beginning of his sophomore year. Sukasi said “band is how I made friends when I first moved here.” He went on to explain that he made friends in band and met friends of the friends in band, and so on.

Nishanth plays in the Tahoma Wind Ensemble and Jazz Band, and in a kka band called “Touch It.”

“I just like playing music,” said Sukasi when asked what his favorite type of music is to play. He says he’ll play anything that’s put in front of him, but his favorite is classical.

When asked what advice he might give a younger musician, he had this to say: “You really have to practice, especially in the beginning. A lot of kids quit because they think they’re not doing well. Practice makes you better and makes it easier. It gets a lot more fun when you know what you’re doing.”

You can hear Sukasi perform with the Wind Ensemble and Jazz Band at the Tahoma concert on May 29 at 7 p.m. in the multi-purpose room.

He will also be performing with the Tahoma marching band in the Maple Valley Days parade and with “Touch It” at the Arts Festival.