Students from four local schools earned seats in all-state band ensembles in state auditions last weekend.
All-state concert band auditions were held at Henderson State University in Arkadelphia on Saturday. Auditions for all-state jazz were held at Goza Middle School in Arkadelphia on Friday.
The students will be featured in performances at the Arkansas All-State Music Conference at the Hot Springs Convention Center next week. The conference opens on Feb. 17. Choral and band performances will take place Feb. 18-20.
Students who earned the highest scores in the all-state band auditions were placed in the state wind symphony. The next-highest scores were placed in the symphonic band and concert band, respectively.
Seth DeWalt, of Lakeside High School, was the only local student to earn a place in the wind symphony. DeWalt scored the second-highest in the state on tuba.
Other Lakeside students to make all-state bands were Victoria Le, Bb clarinet, concert band; Sarah-Marie Linneman, flute, concert band; Makayla Lovel, flute, alternate; and Rebecca Slay, percussion, concert band.
Lake Hamilton High School students earned the most local all-state selections with 11 state bids. Eight of the 11 selections were placed in the symphonic band.
Lake Hamilton students in the symphonic band are Trystan Digby, trumpet; Carissa Gates, contrabass clarinet; Dillon Green, trumpet; Tashauna Hammock, alto clarinet; Ethan Nooner, percussion; Makenna Sisson, Bb clarinet; Keely Stofer, oboe; and Madison Wehunt, alto clarinet. Kaitlyn Moody was named to the concert band on Bb clarinet. Spencer Hill, tuba, and Jessica Nichols, alto clarinet, are alternates.
Josh Martin, of Hot Springs High School, was named to the All-State Concert Band on trumpet. Christian Boekhout, alto saxophone, and Reece Frye, French horn, are alternates.
Malvern's Connor Scroggins, French horn, was named to the symphonic band. Austin Voss earned a place in the concert band on tuba.
Lakeside's Michael Cranton earned first band, first chair on drums in the All-State Jazz Band.
Martin, of Hot Springs, and Green, of Lake Hamilton, were named second band, fourth and fifth chair, respectively in the jazz band.
The first and second jazz bands will perform Feb. 18 at 7:30 p.m. in Horner Hall. The evening concert will also include the All-State Chamber Orchestra.
The Arkansas School Band and Orchestra Association's junior high and choir honor concerts will be held in the afternoon and evening of Feb. 19, respectively. The state's intercollegiate band and choir performances will take place earlier in the day.
The conference will close on Feb. 20 with performances by the state's top high school band and choral selections. Arkansas Choral Directors Association concerts will begin at noon in Hall A.
The orchestra, concert band, symphonic band and wind symphony will perform from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. in Bank of the Ozarks Arena on Feb. 20.
Local on 02/10/2016