(SPRINGFIELD, Ky.) – Washington County High School junior Asa Dugan and senior Jait Youmans were selected for and attended the prestigious West Kentucky Percussion Festival in Greenville. The festival honors percussion ensemble and drumline and originated in November 2014, with the first festival occurring in March 2015. Since its inception, the West Kentucky Percussion Festival has become the largest percussion educational event in Kentucky, and offers various percussion clinics. The 2026 festival was held on March 21 and featured renowned clinicians and guest artists from across the region. The festival is hosted by the Muhlenberg County Band Boosters and the Muhlenberg County Percussion Students in the Felix E. Martin, Jr. Hall. Students who attend must be recommended by their school music or band director. Each year, approximately 50 students from across Kentucky are selected through this nomination process, making participation a significant honor.

“Students were chosen through a comprehensive evaluation, focusing on several key areas,” says Scotty Burns, who serves as band director for Washington County Schools. “These students demonstrated a high level of technical proficiency across a range of percussion instruments, including snare drum, mallet instruments, timpani, and auxiliary percussion. These students also have a high level of reading ability, independent preparation and musical maturity—the ability to interpret and express dynamics, phrasing, tone quality, and stylistic nuance. Equally important is consistency, reliability, and professionalism. The students that were chosen for the ensemble have shown they can be trusted to come prepared, remain focused during rehearsals, and take responsibility for their individual parts within a collaborative setting. These students have always demonstrated a positive attitude and strong ensemble awareness, understanding the importance of listening, balance, and teamwork—especially within the highly coordinated percussion section.”

Youmans (left) and Dugan (right) with David England, festival clinician who served as director of the festival’s 2026 honors drumline. (Photo provided)

Dugan who plays the bass drum in the drumline of the Commander Marching Band, as well as other instruments in concert band, said he enjoyed seeing other students perform, learning new information and winning door prizes. This year, Dugan attended the snare and drum set clinic. At WCHS, Dugan has been taking advanced placement (AP) and dual credit courses since his freshman year, has passed several of his AP exams, and earned a spot on the school’s ACT Wall of Fame, for earning an ACT score of 28. He has also participated in the All District band throughout his high school career. Outside of school and band, Dugan works part-time at Subway. Though he still has one year left of high school, he plans to attend college and study cybersecurity.

Youmans said he enjoyed his experience at the festival as well, where he attended different clinics throughout the day to learn new things. Youmans began taking band class in the 6^th grade and officially the Commander Marching Band in 8^th grade. He played the big base during his first two years in the band, then moved to tenors and has been on snare drum for the last couple of years. For concert band, he plays all percussion instruments. At WCHS, he is a member of STLP, the Commander Archery team, the Commander Tennis team, and a member of SCC 3-D Youth. Additionally, he has a mowing business where he has mowed yards for community residents for the last five years and participates in the school’s Co-op Program, and is employed at Parkview IGA. After he graduates in May, he plans to become a diesel mechanic.

“We are incredibly proud of Asa and Jait for earning this opportunity," says Malissa Hutchins, interim principal at WCHS. "Their selection speaks volumes about their talent, work ethic, and character, as well as their dedication to continually improving their skills. Being chosen to participate in an event of this caliber is no small accomplishment, and they rose to the occasion by representing our school and community exceptionally well. Experiences like this not only showcase their abilities, but also help them grow as musicians and individuals. We’re excited to see how they continue to build on this success and all that they will accomplish in the future.”