By Lauren Whitham
Outstanding music students from across Washington have received top honors by being selected to participate in the annual Washington Music Educator’s Association (WMEA) All State Honor Choirs. The following students, grades 6-12, will represent Steilacoom Historical School District, joining more than 500 other outstanding young performers in Yakima for this gala event.
Elizabeth Anderson, Perry Atwood, Adysen Barkhurst, Trisha Beadle, Angelica Bliss, Whilaminna Brock, Zoe Buoniconti, Analise Christenson, Sariah Crow, Maxwell Elkins, Samantha Gayler, Riley Gautier, Josiah Hampton, Helaina Kaufmann, Raj Kumar, Julie Landes, Grace Lemmon, Abigail Lovell, Lindsey Marchant, Kyla Raygor, Jaminfaye Reduque, Wilmary Rolon, Sachiel Santos, Taylor Stowers, Payton Svoboda and Benjamin Waight
The WMEA All State Honor Groups meet President’s Day weekend to rehearse together under the direction of internationally renowned music educators and present final concerts on Saturday February 15 and Sunday February 16, 2014.
Many professional musicians credit their All-State experience as crucial in their decision to choose music as a career. Thousands of others whose career paths took them in other directions have great memories of participating in this inspiring and motivating musical experience, and claim that it was a life-changing experience for them. Well known Washingtonians who have participated in past years’ WMEA All State groups include The Seattle Post-Intelligencer’s Pulitzer Prize-winning columnist David Horsey, National Teacher of the Year Andrea Peterson, and jazz saxophonist, Kenny G.
In addition to sending 26 students to Yakima to participate in honor choirs, the Steilacoom Historical School district will be represented by the Pioneer Middle School Young Women’s Choir. Under the direction of Ms. Lauren Whitham, this 60 voice, non-auditioned chorus of 7th and 8th grade girls will perform at the WMEA conference for 600 music educator’s from all over the state on February 14, at 8:00 pm. Ms. Whitham will also be presenting a session for music educators on February 15 entitled “Keys to Independent Learning in the Choral Classroom.”