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EMS ÀÏ˾»ú¸£ÀûÉç Students Named 2024 All-State Musicians

Three ÀÏ˾»ú¸£ÀûÉç students have been named 2024 All-State Musicians by the Texas Music Educators Association (TMEA).

A smiling teenage boyEvan Danforth, a junior in the Spirit of Saginaw Band at Saginaw High School, James Smith, a junior in the jazz band at Boswell High School, and Rylee Karber, a junior in Ranger Chorale at Chisholm Trail High School, all received the prestigious honor.

"We are incredibly proud of the students," said Shawn Bell, EMS ÀÏ˾»ú¸£ÀûÉç Director of Fine Arts. "They are amazing representatives of the excellence in music education offered in EMS ÀÏ˾»ú¸£ÀûÉç." 

Danforth, a percussionist, was named to the All-State Band for the second year in a row.

"All-state is the absolute highest honor a student musician can receive," said Jenn Giba, Saginaw High School Percussion Director. "This is an outstanding achievement and we are so proud of his hard work and dedication."

Smith is a saxophonist, and was named to the All-State Jazz Ensemble II. Karber is an alto 1, and was named to the All-State Treble Choir.A smiling teenage girl

high school student holding a saxophoneThe process for being named a TMEA all-state musician is highly competitive. Students must advance through district, region and area levels from September through January. Only the top 2.4% of musicians who initially audition become all-state musicians.

The students will travel to San Antonio in February for the TMEA State Clinic/Convention, where they will participate in three days of clinics led by nationally recognized music instructors, and then perform in front of the largest music education conference in the United States.

We are #EMSproud of these students, and they will be recognized at the February EMS ÀÏ˾»ú¸£ÀûÉç Board of Trustees meeting.