Fifteen Mount Pleasant Junior High School band students have qualified for the Texas Music Educators Association (TMEA) Region IV Middle School All-Region Band. Eleven students earned chairs in the Symphonic Band and four in the Concert Band.
Four students earned 1st chair, essentially 1st place in their category, in the Symphonic Band: Shpat Zeqaj on Oboe, Luke Muskrat on Bassoon, Suhey Lopez on Alto Saxophone, and De’Andre Galloway on French Horn. This is the second year for Zeqaj to earn 1st chair honors in the Symphonic Band.
“I am so proud of all the MPJH students who auditioned for the All-Region bands,” said MPJHS Band Director Karen Luckett. “We took 21 students to Sulphur Springs Middle School for the auditions. Out of those 21 students, 15 of them earned chairs in the All-Region bands, which is 71%! All of these students put in an extensive amount of time and effort to prepare for these auditions. We have been preparing for them since the second day of school. I congratulate all of these students whether they made the All-Region bands or not.”
Students who qualified for the All-Region Bands include:
Oboe Symphonic Band: Shpat Zeqaj, 1st chair
Bassoon Symphonic Band: Luke Muskrat, 1st chair
Bb Clarinet Symphonic Band: Andrew Perez, 2nd chair; Jose Fuentes, 5th chair
Bb Clarinet Concert Band: Christopher Sorto, 2nd chair; Jazlynn Juarez, 12th chair
Alto Saxophone Symphonic Band: Suhey Lopez, 1st chair
Trumpet Symphonic Band: Orion Senence, 3rd chair; Clinton Debord, 4th chair; Joel Palacios, 10th chair
French Horn Symphonic Band: DeAndre Galloway, 1st chair; Cesar Gonzalez, 2nd chair; Fernando Robles, 6th chair
Percussion Concert Band: Luke Thurman, 3rd chair; Hector Rocha, 8th chair
The 15 Mount Pleasant Junior High All-Region Band members, along with those who made the High School All-Region Jazz band and Freshman All-Region band will perform in the TMEA Region IV Middle School/Freshman/Jazz Clinic & Concert on Saturday, December 14 at Paris Junior High School in Paris, Texas.
Pictured: The MPJHS All-Region Band members.