Jasper High School senior joins elite marching band

Bradley gave a speech during the convocation held at the JHS Gymnasium on Tuesday, thanking the Assistant Band Direct Patrick Keeley and his fellow band members for their support.

Jasper – Bradley Gehlhausen, a senior at Jasper High School, will be joining an elite group for a marching band performance in January.

He is one of eight tuba players chosen to take part in the U.S. Army All-American Marching Band. Over 1300 high school seniors were nominated by their band directors across the nation to take part in the prestigious 125 member band.

There were only four other students selected from the State of Indiana this year. Bradley will join three from Indianapolis and a member of the Castle High School Color Guard in Newburgh in representing the state.

Bradley comes from a musical family. His three siblings all participated in band and Bradley considers his older brother Bemjamim (BJ), an All-State Tuba player, to be one of the best tuba players in Jasper High School’s history.

“He was probably one of the best tuba players Jasper has ever had,” Bradley said, “and I have constantly tried to play at his level. I admire him. He gave me something to shoot for in my playing.”

Bradley led the band in a rousing number as students exited the gymnasium at the end of the ceremony in which he was nominated for a position on the U.S. Army All-American Marching Band.

Benjamin was unable to attend the convocation held at the Jasper High School Gymnasium on Tuesday, but Bradley’s mom and dad, Lisa and Jerry Gehlhausen, attended with his sister Bridget and his grandmother Pat Weisheit. Bradley’s younger brother Brayden sat in the bleachers as part of the Jasper Band and accompanied Bradley during a quick performance at the end of the convocation.

Besides being a member of the Jasper Marching Wildcats, Bradley is also the vice-president of the Jasper Student Council, vice-president of the Ultimate Frisbee Club, and a member of Students Against Destructive Decisions (SADD). He earned his Eagle Scout when he was a sophomore and currently, is a member of Venture Crew 185.

Patrick Keeley, Jasper’s assistant band director, has been working with Bradley for seven years now. “He has always been a dedicated and hard worker,” Keeley said about Bradley, “He has a lot of passion for everything he does.”

According to Keeley, he has had several students try out for the All-American Marching Band in the past, but Bradley is the first student to be chosen to participate in the bowl game show.

Students will converge on San Antonio about a week prior to the game and begin to practice and receive instruction from top collegiate, high school and drum and bugle corps instructors from across the country.

After only one week of practicing together, the marching band will perform during the U.S. Army All-American Bowl halftime show. The All-American Bowl features 90 of the nation’s best high school players in a classic East vs. West match-up. The game is broadcast live on NBC and last year, over 40,000 people were in attendance at the Alomodome.

“Just to be around the other musicians and instructors as part of the marching band will be an incredible experience,” Bradley said. “I am sure there will be some really incredible people I can learn a lot from there.”

Bradley said he would like to pursue a career in music but he is undecided on what college he will attend.

Bradley is the son of Jerry and Lisa Gehlhausen. He has three siblings, Benjamin (BJ), 26; Bridget, 24; and Braden, 16. All have taken part in the Jasper Marching Band, Benjamin as a tuba player, Bridget played French Horn, and Braden is a percussionist in the band now.

“I feel really blessed to be chosen for this,” Bradley said. “A part of me doesn’t understand how I was chosen at all.”