Representing band and orchestra, 13 students in San Antonio for TMEA

A select few orchestra and band students made the bus trip to San Antonio for the 2018 TMEA convention.

Lucas Barr, Staff Reporter
February 16, 2018

Various band and orchestra students made the trip down to San Antonio on Wednesday to participate in the TMEA convention and clinics and perform on Saturday.

“In order to make All-State orchestra, you have to first audition at the All-Region level and then be in the top percentage for each section,” assistant orchestra director Victoria Lien said. “A couple weeks later you’ll submit a tape, and then they’ll judge, and then you’ll find out if you’re accepted to the All-State orchestra.”

The convention and concert is not all fun and games for students that got accepted, as they must re-audition for chair placement upon arrival.

“Even if you’re first chair when you first get into All-State, you’re not definitely first chair when you get to All-state,” Lien said. “For orchestras we do a lot of full orchestra so it’s really magnificent how quickly they can put together a lot of things and with Texas it’s some of the best of the best in the nation. All-State wise, Texas is very strong.”

Violinist Kaeon Cho was accepted to the orchestra as a freshman, an uncommon feat.

“Honestly I was most excited to see all my old friends and eat,” Cho said via email. “I hope to take something that will help me with my solo playing, and just by looking at the very first day I was here, I think my hopes will be fulfilled.”

All-State is not only for students, but band and orchestra directors from across the state also participate in the convention.

“They have to chaperone of course make sure the All-State kids are doing okay,” Lien said. “Sometimes they’ll talk about how to increase retention in orchestra or how to teach a certain style of bowing and so for teachers it’s a good way to refresh or increase our knowledge on certain topics.”

The following students are representing the school at TMEA in San Antonio:

Kaeon Cho (09)

Meghan Le (12)

Jonathan Peng (10)

Nathan Brooks (12)

Edward Chen (11)

Caitlyn Hazzard (12)

Richard Huang (11)

Jisu Kang (12)

Reuben Mathews (11)

Sudhir Sadhu (11)

Mark Shi (12)