Kevin Phillips II knows he was ‘destined? to be a musician.
He remembers his father, who is the band director at Clawson High School, playing classical music for him, challenging him to pick out the instruments he heard and the key of the song.
‘It’s just kept building up ever since,? said the 17-year-old Oxford resident.
Today, Phillips is an established euphoniumist and was selected by the Blue Lake Fine Arts Camp to be an international exchange student in their International Southern Winds symphonic band.
Through the program, Phillips will tour three different European countries and give solo performances in nine different cities for three weeks next June.
Blue Lake, located on the west side of the state, started the international exchange program in 1969.
It’s dedicated to ‘promoting peace and understanding through the universal language of arts.?
The camp sends six different groups; a choir, a jazz band, a symphony orchestra, a ballet ensemble, the northern winds and the southern winds symphonic bands.
Each group is comprised of international musicians and dancers.
Phillips said the band he’s traveling with has about 60 members.
The Clawson High School senior will be featured as a soloist for a variation piece called ‘Carnival of Venice,? which was originally composed for trumpet.
In music, a variation is a technique where material is altered during repetition.
The southern winds band will be his accompaniment throughout the entire song.
Because this is Phillips? second time touring Europe with the program ? he did back in 2003 ? he said he’s not nervous about solos anymore.
‘It’s not so much a nervous feeling as it is an exciting feeling,? he said. ‘You’re ready for it.?
While touring Europe, Phillips will be staying with a host family in each city they stop at, immersing himself in the country’s culture.
He said it’s exciting to see how much the other countries appreciate American-born music, like patriotic works by John Phillip Sousa.
‘The whole experience is just something that broadens the way you think about international music and the way you think of music,? he said. ‘It helps you appreciate a lot of different things.?
The cost of the trip is $4,000. To show Phillips your support and sponsorship, write him at 2321 Somerville Dr., Oxford, MI 48371.