If every school were as successful as Auburn in producing instrumentalists, there would be 480 members of the All-District Middle School Band.

A total of 12 Auburn band members earned a place on the all-district band following tryouts at Warren Central High School on Nov. 16.

Students from 40 different schools in southcentral Kentucky were eligible to try out. Had each qualified 12, the total would have been 480.

Instead, Auburn finished in a tie for second among the 40 schools with 12. Bazzell Middle of Allen County had the most at 16 and Auburn was tied for second with 12.

The total county for the All-District Band is 100, so Auburn got 12 percent rather than the average of 2.5 percent.

Martha Bayles is the band director/music instructor at Auburn.

She has been at the elementary/middle school for 12 years. "That's how old my son Jason is, so I can always keep up with it," she says.

Bayles was the founding director of the Logan County Marching Cougars 20 years ago this fall. From the beginning, the band has been one of the most consistently successful organizations at LCHS. She set it up that way.

She's also pleased that her successor at LCHS, Mandy Beasley, qualified her first students for All-District at Lewisburg this year. Beasley also left directing the big band to spend more time with her young family.

Bayles usually downplays her accomplishments, but she's excited this time. The previous record for Auburn was qualifying five, so this was more than double the record.

"This is the first year in a long time that there wasn't a ball game to compete with, and the kids didn't have to choose (whether to try out or not)," she says.

"These kids wanted it and wanted it bad. They stayed and stayed and stayed after school to get ready for this."

Bayles continued her praise: "This year's group has a great work ethic and they made me extremely proud. It's been a great year and it's not over yet."

The band will march in the Auburn Christmas Parade and will perform its holiday concert Dec. 16.

Making the All-District Band were Kelli Anne Holland, Ashley Johnson, Chelsea Skipworth, Alex Boswell, Adam Haley, Trey Turner, Nathan Hughes, David Harris, Stephen Austin, Carroll McPherson and Donald Grenke.

The honor band will perform a concert on Saturday, Jan. 4, at VanMeter Auditorium on the Western Kentucky University campus.

The concert begins at 2 p.m. and is free to the public.