Three Eagle Mountain-²ÝÁñÊÓƵ ²ÝÁñÊÓƵ students have been named 2024 All-State Musicians by the Texas Music Educators Association (TMEA).
Evan Danforth, a junior in the Spirit of ²ÝÁñÊÓƵ Band at ²ÝÁñÊÓƵ High School, James Smith, a junior in the jazz band at Boswell High School, and Rylee Karber, a junior in Ranger Chorale at Chisholm Trail High School, all received the prestigious honor.
"We are incredibly proud of the students," said Shawn Bell, EMS ²ÝÁñÊÓƵ Director of Fine Arts. "They are amazing representatives of the excellence in music education offered in EMS ²ÝÁñÊÓƵ."
Danforth, a percussionist, was named to the All-State Band for the second year in a row.
"All-state is the absolute highest honor a student musician can receive," said Jenn Giba, ²ÝÁñÊÓƵ High School Percussion Director. "This is an outstanding achievement and we are so proud of his hard work and dedication."
Smith is a saxophonist, and was named to the All-State Jazz Ensemble II. Karber is an alto 1, and was named to the All-State Treble Choir.
The process for being named a TMEA all-state musician is highly competitive. Students must advance through district, region and area levels from September through January. Only the top 2.4% of musicians who initially audition become all-state musicians.
The students will travel to San Antonio in February for the TMEA State Clinic/Convention, where they will participate in three days of clinics led by nationally recognized music instructors, and then perform in front of the largest music education conference in the United States.
We are #EMSproud of these students, and they will be recognized at the February EMS ²ÝÁñÊÓƵ Board of Trustees meeting.