February 15, 2016

 

 

 

Boleng

Davis

Deger

Mathis

Morgan

Walters

Zagrocki

 

Six Granbury High School music students and one from Crossland Ninth Grade Center performed with All-State bands and choirs to close the Texas Music Educators Association (TMEA) state conference at the Henry B. Gonzalez Convention Center in San Antonio on February 13, 2016.

 

GHS senior Kiersten Mathis, an Alto II singer, joined the All-State Mixed Choir under the direction of James F. Rodde, music professor and choral director at Iowa State University.  This marked her third year qualifying for the all-state level.

 

Mathis was joined in the Mixed Choir by senior Zach Zagrocki, a Bass II singer, and junior Brynn Deger, an Alto I singer.  Also performing with state vocal ensembles were senior Baylee Davis, an Alto II in the Women’s Choir, and freshman Andrew Walters, a Bass II in the Men’s Choir.  The other ensembles were under the direction of Amanda Quist, assistant professor of conducting at Westminister Choir College, and Gabriel Crouch, choral director at Princeton University.

 

Senior Aaron Morgan, a tuba player, performed with the All-State Symphonic Band, while sophomore flute player Lauren Boleng was in the All-State Concert Band.  Both ensembles were composed primarily of students from Class 6A high schools.  Boleng sat first chair in her group and performed several solos during the Concert Band session.

 

The All-State bands were under the direction of Michael Haithcock, director of bands and music professor at the University of Michigan and Kevin Geraldi, associate professor of conducting at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro.

 

All-State is the highest honor a Texas music student can receive.  The seven students were chosen through a competitive process involving several levels of auditions held this school year throughout the state.  Individual musicians perform selected music for a panel of judges who rank each instrument or voice part.  From this ranking, a select group advances from each of the twenty-eight regions to compete against others in seven area competitions.

 

Only five hundred are selected for the state ensembles from among almost 60,000 band, choir, and orchestra students that initially entered the multi-level musical competition.

 

Pictured above following the All-State Mixed Choir concert are (left to right) Kiersten Mathis, Zach Zagrocki, James F. Rodde, and Brynn Deger.