A whopping 40 Leander ISD high school band and choir students earned a spot in a Texas Music Educators Association (TMEA) All-State ensemble, nearly doubling last year’s total of 22. Every LISD high school had at least one student make either All-State Choir or Band. The students, by high school, are:
Choir
Cedar Park High School:
Lindsay Dove – Soprano 1
Ally McKeon – Alto 1
Ryan Sawicki – Tenor 1
Caden Teliha – Tenor 2
Emma Vaughn – Soprano 2
Leander High School:
Mia Boyd – Soprano 1
Ethan Grinstead – Bass 2
Rouse High School
Jon-Paul Lopez – Tenor 1
Vandegrift High School
Cade Conville – Tenor Bass Choir
Jonathon Miller – Tenor Bass Choir
Akash Shah – Tenor Bass Choir
Sam Smoot – Mixed Choir
Vista Ridge High School
Meghna Vergis – Alto 2
Band
Glenn High School
Ellie Slaton – Bb Clarinet
Cedar Park High School
Jacob Cohen – Alto Sax
William Lambert – Bari Sax
Aaron Luckenbill – Bassoon
Miles Merrill – Bb Clarinet
Ethan Usrey – Tenor Sax
Leander High School
Mark Bennett – Trombone
Rouse High School
Faustina Beltran- Oboe
Ryan Bonnet – Percussion
Matthew Drum – Euphonium
Jackson Ocampo – Trumpet
Katelynn Peeples – Clarinet
Areg Vartanian – Trombone
Vandegrift High School
Nathan Cong – Bass Clarinet
Ryan Hogarth – Bb Clarinet
Inbo Shim – Alto Sax
Amaan Syed – Tenor Trombone
Sophie Wills – Flute
Vista Ridge High School
Payton Atkinson – Horn
Hunter Bellows – Euphonium
Glenn Choe – Percussion
Zoe Fisher – Horn
Luke Hatch – English Horn
Minji Kim – Bb Clarinet
Ashley Painter – Bassoon
Elias Taira – Tuba
Tanner Walterman – Bb Clarinet
“The audition process to earn a spot in a TMEA All-State group is arduous,” LISD Fine Arts Director Peter Warshaw said. “These students have worked hard for a long period of time to reach this level of success, and their accomplishment is a reflection of their dedication as well as that of their teachers and directors.
TMEA sponsors the Texas All-State audition process to promote students’ dedication to their musical knowledge and skill and to encourage TMEA member directors to support their students in this development. Beginning each fall, over 70,000 high school students across the state audition in their TMEA Region. Individual musicians perform selected music for a panel of judges who rank each instrument or voice part. A select group of musicians advances to compete against musicians from other Regions in their TMEA Area. The highest-ranking musicians judged at the TMEA Area competitions qualify to perform in one of 15 Texas All-State Bands, Orchestras, and Choirs. These All-State ensembles rehearse for three days, directed by nationally recognized conductors, and perform on the closing day of the annual TMEA Clinic/Convention.
