Fifty Mount Pleasant High School Band Students earned first division medals at the UIL Region IV Solo and Ensemble Contest at First Baptist Church in Sulphur Springs on February 4th and have advanced to the State Solo and Ensemble contest to be held in virtually at the end of May.
To earn a first division medal and advance to state, these students logged many hours of practice over the past three months on difficult musical selections chosen by the Texas University Interscholastic League. They then had to perform the work before a judge, a challenge for any young musician. The first division awards they earned represent a superior performance and are the same as a first-place finish.
Qualifying for state as part of an ensemble are Aachal Amin, Edgar Arias, Brian Ayala, Manoa Bagsic, Jordi Bello, Hannah Bowles, Brian Bush, Sebastian Campos, Samuel Dorantes, Maiko Estrada, Jose Fuentes, Kristy Garcia, Juanita Gutierrez, Ahlin Hernandez, Karli Hill, Lexi Humber, Nia Jackson, Juan Juarez, Isaiah Martinez, Kayla Mata, Pablo Mata, Alitzel Mendoza, Lizeth Navarro, Zoe Newman, Ilse Ojendis, Nayeli Palacios, Sofia Palacios, Andrew Perez, David Perez, Neida Perez, Jasmine Pina, Angel Quistian, Abril Ramirez, Cinthya Ramirez, Isai Ramirez, Lizette Ramirez, Holly Reese, Jacqueline Reyes, Elijah Rider, Gavin Rider, Jose Romero, Yesenia Rosiles-Cervantes, Tawnny Swanson, Krislynn Taylor, Luke Thurman, Anahi Valente, Jerrius Vickers, and Emily Wade.
Five students including Bagsic, Maddison Carpenter, Jackson, P. Mata and Mary Reeves qualified for state with solo performances.
Three of the students qualified for state solo and ensemble as eighth-graders: C. Ramirez, Taylor, and Thurman.
“I am very proud of these students, said Dr. Theodus Luckett, MPISD Director of Fine Arts and MPHS Goin’ Gold Band Director. “COVID-19 has presented obstacles and challenges for our students to overcome. Yet our students worked hard and overcame those obstacles. We congratulate the students and their band directors and we wish them success at State in May.”