Local students earn spots in prestigious All-State musical ensembles

Press release from Alachua County Public Schools

ALACHUA COUNTY, Fla. – Thirty-nine students from nine Alachua County Public Schools have been selected as All-State Musicians by the Florida Music Education Association (FMEA).

The students will participate in fourteen different All-State ensembles at the annual FMEA conference in Tampa from January 11-14. The conference will include workshops, rehearsals, and performances with the state’s other top young musicians under the leadership of expert conductors. 

To earn spots in the All-State ensembles, students participated in a rigorous audition process this fall that included musicianship tests, playing scales, sight reading passages, and prepared audition pieces on their respective instruments.

“We’re proud that our district will be so well represented in this prestigious program,” said Diana Rollo, who coordinates the district’s fine arts curriculum. “It’s a tribute to the students, their families, their music teachers, and the community, which has supported the arts in our schools through the One Mill for Schools initiative.” 

The One Mill for Schools is a ballot initiative first approved by Alachua County voters in 2008 and three times since then to fund art, music, and other programs in local schools.

The students named All-State musicians, their grade, their All-State ensembles, and their instruments/vocal categories are as follows:

BHS Band – Noah Graben, director

BHS Chorus/Orchestra – Lindsey Tran, director

EHS Chorus – Erin Cook, director

Ft. Clarke MS Band – Everett McConn, director

GHS Band – Bill Pirzer, director

GHS Chorus – Rebecca Ruescher, director

Howard Bishop MS Band – Amy Beres, director

Lincoln MS Band/Orchestra – Todd Eckstein, director

NHS Band – James DeRemer, director

SFHS Band – Jacob Massena, director

Wiles Elementary Chorus/Orff – Carrie Olson, director