12/08/2021
Three Taft High School Student Musicians Accepted into All-State Symphonic Band
Taft High Students Kaylon Junger who plays the clarinet as a junior, Dylan Rodriguez who plays the trombone as a senior, and Ryan Riggs who plays flute also as a senior, received the exciting news that they had landed a place in the All-State Symphonic Band and will perform this winter as part of this select band. All-State is an honor music ensemble program run by the Oregon Music Education Association (OMEA). According to the OMEA description, "This is an extremely rewarding experience for students to gather with fellow motivated student musicians from around Oregon and have the privilege to rehearse and perform with renowned guest conductors."
In order for students to make it into the All-State band, they must follow an audition screening and placement process. Audition screening is “blind” as judges do not know the student's name or school information. Screeners listen to each track and assign a score from 1-100. They listen for the following: Note / pitch accuracy, rhythmic accuracy, tone quality, articulation, dynamics, style, and phrasing. After the auditions are scored each student ends up with an overall score and is ranked.
Collin Stegner, Music Teacher at Taft 7-12 is proud of these students and said, “Some benefits of this achievement include experiencing music at a very high level with some of the most amazing music educators in the country. It will teach them what it is like to be a professional musician where you have very limited time to deliver an amazing performance. In regards to life lessons, it teaches them how to have more self-discipline and that hard work can give you unforgettable experiences in life. "
The three students and the All-State Band will perform in Eugene, Oregon January 13-16, 2022. See https: //www.oregonmusic. org / for information on purchasing tickets.
