A number of Bulldogs recently took to the stage at Waterloo High School to show their talents during the annual Mid-Winter Concert, though one student had the particular honor of having his own composed work featured during the performance.

That same WHS senior, Thomas Toolen, also got the chance to show his musical skill in the prestigious Tournament of Roses Parade in California on New Year’s Day, his final year of high school serving as a triumphant step in an already successful career as a musician and composer.

Toolen spoke about how he got his musical start well before he joined any concert band on the drums when he was 8 years old, having been interested as he watched other drummers play.

His passion for composing likewise began fairly young and was similarly done independently.

“I started that around COVID, about seventh grade,” Toolen said. “Over time, I didn’t have any lessons or any kind of instruction when it came to that, so a lot of that was self-taught and learning it as I created, from learning how song structure worked to how to play piano a little bit or how to write for physical instruments like trumpet or flute.”

His composition began in digital programs with samples, though he’s more recently developed his skills writing for more traditional instruments and ensembles, particularly as he’s been looking to add to his college portfolio.

Toolen remarked there isn’t much of an inclination toward music in his family save for an uncle who himself went to school for composition – though his father is an artist and provided a nice perspective when it comes to his own artistic forays.

While his skills as an artist and composer began well before he started at WHS, Toolen has further blossomed as a musician while in high school.

Though he’s come to participate in jazz band, the wind ensemble and percussion ensemble, his high school career truly began with marching band.

“My freshman year coming in, I had no previous marching band experience, so that was my first introduction to high school band,” Toolen said. “That was definitely an eye-opener when it came to how I saw band as a whole, how I saw what opportunities were out there for me.”

His time in these groups, particularly marching band and concert band, has further honed his talents as he’s tried to take on more of a leadership role, sharing his musical knowledge and figuring out how to write music for others to play.

Toolen has earned a number of accolades during his time at WHS, submitting compositions to the Illinois Music Education Association and receiving honorable mentions last year for two submitted pieces in their annual composition contest.

Also with the ILMEA, Toolen has stood among the all-district percussionists for the past two years.

He’s also had performance opportunities with the solo and ensemble competition, receiving two division one ratings and being awarded Best in Room for his snare solo.

At WHS, he earned the Louis Armstrong Jazz Award last year even as the honor is typically reserved for seniors.

He’s also served as first chair of the percussion section in the school’s concert band and was previously second chair.

Toolen has additionally been part of the Bi-State Honor Band at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville for the past four years – two years in the white band and two years in the red band – and he’s also participated in the Mississippi Valley Conference Band for the past three years.

He’s also found his place with the Waterloo Municipal Band for the past two years and has served as a music tutor for two students.

Toolen emphasized how each of these experiences have proven very useful in building his skills and expanding his horizons as a musician.

Of course, this year has also been marked by some exceptional accomplishments and opportunities, the first of which came at the start of 2026 with his participation in the 137th Rose Parade in Pasadena, Calif., alongside WHS band director Zachary Smith.

Toolen recalled hearing about the parade last year, brought in to participate alongside hundreds of other students from across the country.

The honor came thanks to a letter of recommendation from Smith and Toolen’s own musical accolades. He voiced an appreciation for his director’s support.

Toolen further recounted his experience preparing and ultimately performing in the parade, meeting his peers after some time practicing and getting to know each other online.

He described the experience as “surreal,” also noting how it provided a serious boost to his confidence to be able to perform on such a stage.

“The parade itself, it was long. It sounds long, but it’s very different when you’re actually there marching and playing at the same time,” Toolen said.

The more recent honor came Feb. 23 with the WHS Mid-Winter Concert, where he was the first student to have their composed work featured among the performances.

“A very new experience for me was playing the piece that I had written but not being the one that was directing,” Toolen said. “Being a performer in that ensemble was definitely a unique experience, giving my input in how I had written out the music for the different performers.”

Toolen described the concert similarly to his experience in the Rose Parade, speaking about how new and strange the performance was given some of it placed his personal work center stage.

“It was surreal in its own way, hearing something I had worked on finally performed, anything I had made performed for the first time,” Toolen said. “It was amazing.”

Toolen himself now looking back on his nearly-finished high school career with pride, his father Tim also had some words of pride for the young artist.

He commended the way his son has grown and worked with great determination over the years, exploring many different genres and styles as a musician and sharing his knowledge and experience as a tutor.

“Thomas has always been someone that has never shied away from work,” Tim said. “When he sets his mind to something, he doesn’t stop until he accomplishes what he’s asked himself to do.”

Having worked with him as a student for four years now, Smith likewise praised Toolen for the growth and work ethic he’s demonstrated.

“It’s been awesome to work with Thomas,” Smith said. “Thomas has been a really hard worker the last four years. He has grown a ton. So many times you see these kids when they start or when they end but you don’t get to see both. To see him go from beginning to end with us has been really exciting.”

Looking to the future, Toolen is still evaluating what college he’d like to attend, noting how applying to a composition program is its own beast alongside regular college applications.

Beyond school, he’s currently not sure where his music and composing might take him, though he’d love to continue doing private lessons.

“I love creating music, and it’s something I would love to have more specialized training on, something I’d love to learn more about and something I’d love to go into as a profession,” Toolen said.