There are many places where Escalon High School students excel and one of them is in the area of music.
This school year has brought many accolades for the musical Cougars, with some performances already in the books and another on the way.
The San Joaquin County High School Honor Ensembles featuring several EHS students was hosted in Stockton on Saturday, Jan. 13.
Choir students selected to perform in the County Honor Choir this year were: Daniel Adams, Cortney Ball, Brenden Berchtold, Mady Fahey, Esmeralda Prado, Isabelle Titsworth, and Natalie Titsworth.
The following Band students were selected to perform in the County Honor Band this year: Drew Bellinger, Samantha Bruns, Maia Madsen, Owen Madsen, Alejandro Martinez, Emelia Sousa, Hannah Wampler, and Rebecca Wampler.
“Students had to submit an audition recording to the County Office in September, later adjudicated by all county music teachers for selection,” explained EHS music teacher Katie Carbajal. “Hannah Wampler was also awarded as a Nelson Zane recipient, given only to four-year members of the County Honor Groups.”
This year the San Joaquin County Office of Education (SJCOE) High School Honors Concert included a total of 288 students (103 choir, 89 band, and 96 orchestra) from 21 schools in nine districts within San Joaquin County. More than 330 students auditioned in the fall. The auditions and concert are organized by the SJCOE Visual and Performing Arts department, which sponsors the event with the Delta College Music Department and the San Joaquin County Music Educators' Association.
Coming up is the Golden State Honor Band, due in Sacramento and running Feb.1 through 4, with practices and a performance.
“Hannah Wampler was selected to perform in the California Golden State Honor Band,” Carbajal added. “She is the first EHS band student to be selected in about 20 years. Hannah was selected based on a recorded audition, blindly adjudicated by music professors and teachers from the state.”
The public performance is free, scheduled at the Sacramento Memorial Auditorium on Sunday, Feb. 4.
Earlier this school year, it was the Central California Regional Honor Choir, hosted in Stockton during mid-November.
Daniel Adams, Mady Fahey, and Natalie Titsworth were accepted into the Central California Regional Honor Choir.
“The students had to pass a live audition process in September and October, demonstrating choral technique and music theory, as well as perform an Italian Aria,” explained Carbajal. “The adjudicators were made up of College Music Professors.”
Fahey and Titsworth were selected to perform in the All-Women’s (SSAA) Ensemble, and Adams was selected for the All-Men’s (TTBB) Ensemble.
“Both the rehearsals and performance took place at UOP in Stockton,” Carbajal said.
