Senate honors Southmoore trumpet player, band director after winning national award

OKLAHOMA CITY – A Southmoore High School trumpet player and his band director were honored by the Oklahoma Senate Tuesday, after the two received the 2023 National High School Heart of the Arts Award.  Sen. Darrell Weaver, R-Moore, presented Southmoore junior Casey Hubbard, and band director Adam Mewhorter with a citation and shared their story with fellow members.

“Casey really wanted to participate in marching band, but because he was born with spina bifida and uses a wheelchair, he wasn’t sure that would happen.  Mr. Mewhorter worked with choreographers to design drills, placements and movements of the band throughout their halftime shows that would allow him to push Casey around the field, ensuring his full participation,” Weaver said.  “It’s an amazing and inspirational story.”

For Casey, it’s been a dream come true.

“It’s a really fun experience. I never knew I would get the opportunity…I just didn’t expect to be able to march and be able to participate with the band like the way I am,” Hubbard said.  “It’s a very unique and great opportunity that I’ve gotten to do this for the past few years.”

Mewhorter said he went into teaching to impact lives, and that band can do that in ways other subjects may not, and he wanted to make sure that happened for all his students, including Casey. 

“Just to be able to do that, to find a creative solution has been great, but the coolest thing is the type of kid that Casey is – we get to be a team,” Mewhorter said.  “It’s been neat to share and experience on the field, in person with a student.  I don’t always get to do that as a teacher.  We have 250 kids in the band, it’s hard to individualize this experience.  For me, that’s what this has done, and he’s such a great kid.  It’s just been fabulous and heartwarming for sure.”

The National Federation of State High School Associations started the National High School Heart of the Arts Award in 2014, commending those individuals who exemplify the ideals of the positive heart of the arts, and represent the core mission of education-based activities.