Anthony Sikole is a three year member of the band program at Wheeling Park High School. He first got involved with music in 5th grade, and has continued his musical development through Park’s jazz band, symphonic winds, concert band, and marching band.
” I got involved in music in 5th grade. I play alto, tenor, and soprano saxophone along with cello and banjo,” said Sikole.
When Sikole first entered Park’s music department it was obvious that had a natural talent. Not only did he have the ability, but he had the courage to improvise solos with his fellow students. Along with this, Sikole displayed that he was ready and willing to challenge himself early in his high school journey.
“I have had the pleasure of watching Anthony Sikole grow tremendously through the music program at Wheeling Park High School. From the moment he joined the Jazz Band as a freshman, it was clear that he possessed a natural talent and an eagerness to challenge himself. Not many students are willing to step up to the plate so early in their high school careers, but Anthony did just that. He never shied away from the opportunity to stand up in front of his peers and improvise during Jazz Band solos,” said Wheeling Park’s band teacher Mr. Jason Birch.
In terms of his experience with music at Park, Sikole values the freedom that the band program has given him to explore the world of music. He is most proud of the improvised solo he played at the Festival of Sound.
“My favorite moment in the band is the first time I improvised a solo during Festival of Sound,” said Sikole
Through the music program at Park, Sikole has been given the opportunity to learn how valuable being patient with yourself is when nurturing a skill. He has fostered an understanding that it is okay to fail, and he has developed a strong resilience when it comes to facing challenges. This persistent attitude allowed him to work his way up to first chair or section leader in Park’s jazz band.
“My journey through the music department has taught me the value of hard work and how to lock in on something. It has also taught me how to deal with failure after giving it my all,” said Sikole.
Beyond his musical ability, Sikole is also seen as a great leader and mentor within the band and music department. He has displayed maturity, leadership, and immense personal growth throughout his three years at Park.
Along with music, Sikole has a deep fascination with astrophysics and pulsars. He does research through the Greenbank Observatory and has presented a research paper on the integration of a radio telescope.
“My greatest achievement is presenting a research paper on the integration time of the 20-meter radio telescope at the Greenbank Observatory,” said Sikole.
Through his research Sikole has worked with radio telescopes, detecting radio waves from space.
“My greatest achievement is probably troubleshooting an issue with a radio telescope and figuring out what was wrong with it,” said Sikole,”
In the future, Sikole wants to pursue astrophysics along with jazz at West Virginia University.
“I plan on going to WVU to get a bachelor’s degree in physics with a minor in jazz, and after that, I will go on to get a doctorate in astrophysics,” said Sikole.
