Twenty-one Pearland ISD students make TMEA all-state ensembles

Pearland Independent School District recently celebrated students earning places in Texas Music Educators Association all-state performing groups.

Twenty one Dawson and Pearland high school musicians proved practice makes perfect by reaching the highest level possible for Texas music students.

On February 10, these all-state students will participate in three days of rehearsals directed by nationally-recognized conductors before performing for thousands of attendees at the annual TMEA Clinic/Convention in San Antonio, the nation’s largest music educators convention.

“Making all-state is the highest achievement a high school music student can attain. It is an indicator that the students not only have received great instruction from their elementary music teachers on up to their current high school directors, but also that they applied themselves to develop their skills to the best of their ability,” Tom Bell, Pearland ISD Director of Fine Arts, said. “I am incredibly proud of these students and of our programs.”

Thanks to their hard work and commitment to their craft, these Pearland ISD students achieved the all-state level:

DHS All-State Choir:

• Camden Baker
• Daniel Jacob
• Amber Schaefer         
• Samantha Walker

PHS All-State Choir:

• Armando Cabrera-Ontiveros
• Carlos Garza

DHS All-State Band:

• Scott Cripps
• Hantao Jin
• Daniel Jones
• Joshua Linerode
• Callie Meng
• Ethan Montes
• James Powers
• Devin Saljuud
• Konstantin Sinyak
• Amy Zhang
• Efran Zhao (violin)
• Ares Zhou

PHS All-State Band:

• Anthony Macias
• Jackson Frerking
• Carden Tran

“When practicing for the competition on their own, the students develop grit, perseverance and discipline. This not only makes every student that participates in the process, regardless of the outcome, a better musician, but also develops habits that the students can then transfer to EVERY aspect of their academic and personal lives,” Bell said.

Band directors include DHS’s Aaron Brown and PHS’s Ryan Demkovich. Roxan Silva directs the DHS Choir, while Michael Kessler leads the PHS Choir.

Each year, TMEA selects approximately 1,800 students statewide for performance in one of 18 all-state band, orchestra and choir ensembles. Only the top 2.6% of musicians who initially audition become All-State musicians.

More than 70,000 students begin the competition through regional auditions, with a select group of highest-ranking performers advancing to area and then to state.

(02/05/2024)