13 Coventry HS Students Selected For All-State Music Festival

Coventry RI

28 January, 2020

3:15 PM

Description

COVENTRY, RI — Thirteen Coventry High School students were selected to be a part of this year's all-state music festival, one of the most rigorous, selective programs in the state for young musicians. Eight band and five chorus members made the cut and will perform with their talented peers in March. "I'm very proud of them," said Bill Smith, who has served as the band director at CHS for more than 30 years. "It's all based on their individual work. People congratulate me, but all I do is register and encourage them. The rest is based on their individual work." The All-State Band Festival, run by the Rhode Island Music Education Association, requires a rigorous audition and practice schedule. In November, students performed one-on-one at Moses Brown School in Providence, required to play a difficult, practiced piece, sight-read music they had never played before and perform various scales. "It's all about work ethic," Smith said, adding that some students began practicing their audition pieces as early as over the summer. "[The festival] gives the students a chance to develop better skills. It's close to what it's like to be a professional," Smith continued. The students begin rehearsals next week, culminating with three days of all-day, intensive rehearsals ahead of the final performances. The junior and senior division jazz ensembles will perform at 7 p.m. on March 11 at the University of Rhode Island. The remaining ensembles, including choruses, orchestras and bands, will perform at Veteran's Memorial Auditorium on March 15. The following students were selected for the program: Band Ana Avjian, senior: Senior Division All-State Band, bass clarinetBlake Fraatz, senior: Senior Division All-State Band, trumpetIan Jacobs, freshman: Junior Jazz Ensemble, tenor saxophoneNick Kanaczet, junior: Senior Division All-State Band, tromboneJason Noel, freshman: Junior Division All-State Band, tromboneGrace Petrarca, sophomore: Senior Division All-State Band, fluteLoren Vaughn, senior: Senior Division All-State Band, tromboneSam Webster, senior: Senior Division All-State Band, baritone hornChoir Margaret Brietzke, senior: Senior Division All-State Mixed ChoirJessica Gannon, senior: Senior All-State Treble ChoirMegan Hebert, sophomore: Senior Division All-State Mixed ChoirJonathan Kenney, sophomore: Senior Division All-State Mixed ChoirAdam Lamy, sophomore: Senior Division All-State Mixed Choir