Students to perform at All-Region Band concert Jan. 21
Junior Ericka Ortiz, who earned eighth chair in the concert band, plays the horn.
Nineteen band students will participate in the TMEA area auditions Jan. 7 after qualifying last Tuesday. These students, along with 25 others, will also perform at the All-Region Band concert Jan. 21 at West Texas A&M University.
“My problem is always with the audition because I have really bad anxiety,” senior Julia Miller said. “I figured out this year that it’s not that bad. I made first, so I overcame that.”
In addition to qualifying for the All-Region Band, six students also qualified for the All-Region Orchestra and performed at the Globe News Center Saturday.
“You need to learn to accept,” senior Shady Kuster said. “Coming in as a freshman, this music is extremely hard. You just need to know that yes, your musical experience is lower than everybody else’s, but that doesn’t mean you can’t go in there and do your best, because your best is all that matters.”
Junior Isaac Rosales, who has qualified for the Area auditions every year in high school, earned fourth chair as a tenor trombone.
“When I was warming up, I decided to save my lips so I could play well, but I didn’t warm up enough,” Rosales said. “Since I didn’t warm up enough, my first piece was below where it usually is. I thought I didn’t perform well, so I was surprised to place as high as I did.”
Kuster, who has competed at Area her sophomore and junior years as well, said she uses breathing techniques to calm her nerves.
“I get sick because I get really nervous,” Kuster said. “Nerves are definitely something you have to get over because you’re playing in front of 40 people, some who you’ve met before, some who you’ve never seen in your whole life. You just have to keep moving forward.”
Names in bold will advance to the Area auditions January 7.
Symphonic
Piccolo
1 Berkley Trumbly
Flute
2 Shady Kuster
4 Marissa Cruz
9 Jewelie Rasmussen
B♭ clarinet
6 Corrie Allen
11 Maggie Bell
12 Calvin Burns
Bassoon
1 Julia Miller
2 Meghan Brooks
Alto saxophone
1 Braden Lefevre
Baritone saxophone
1 Nathan Armstrong
Trumpet
6 Cory Robbins
7 Cody Clark
Horn
3 Aryauna Thompson
Tenor trombone
3 Adam Soliz
4 Isaac Rosales
Euphonium
2 Nicholas O’Con
3 Hayden Neeley
Tuba
2 Isaac Ortiz
Percussion
2 Jared Miller
5 Gaven Ludington
Concert
Flute
6 Vivianna Morales
10 Macy McClish
Oboe
2 Tobin Brooks
B♭ clarinet
1 Emma Irlbeck
11 Sophia Hernandez
12 Emily Ray
13 Arian Howard
15 Taelyn Ulch
Bass clarinet
2 Mark Wiegand
Tenor saxophone
1 Michael Ann Robinson
Trumpet
5 Antonio Ortiz
7 Ian Hughes
8 Bret Ramirez
Horn
2 Alex Hernandez
6 Madyson Edwards
7 Wade House
8 Ericka Ortiz
Tenor trombone
7 Talyn Kuster
Bass trombone
2 Zackary Treadwell
Percussion
4 Blaine Fortin
7 Jarrett Johnson
8 Justin Lake
Hullo! I'm a senior in my third year on staff and my second year as an editor-in-chief. You can catch most of my work in the news and blogs sections. When I'm not around the school with a camera and a press pass, I spend my time in choir, musical, various...
