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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – 1/23/2007 |
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FOR INFORMATION, CONTACT: Mark Chandler, 817-283-4461 |
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| Eight junior high students and one elementary school student, who began their strings training in the HEB ISD elementary Suzuki Strings program, have been named to the Region 5 orchestra. They will participate in a rigorous two-day clinic January 26 and 27, and then perform in a concert Saturday night, at Arlington High School.
The HEB ISD orchestra program is only in its second year, with this year’s eighth graders coming from the elementary Suzuki Strings program that began in HEB ISD in 2001. The fledgling orchestra program won a UIL Sweepstakes Award in its inaugural year, during the 2005-2006 school year. Tara Truex is the HEB ISD orchestra instructor. The district’s orchestra program is based at Central Junior High School. Suzuki Strings is offered at six elementary schools, for kindergarten through sixth grade. Students entering seventh grade may apply for a transfer to Central Junior High to continue their strings education, if they are not already assigned to that campus. HEB ISD is the only school district in Tarrant County to offer Suzuki Strings. The following Central Junior High School students qualified for All Region Orchestra, and many of them have qualified two and three years in a row: Deric Cheng (violin)--8th grader, 3rd year in region Rachael Montague (violin)--8th grader, 3rd year in region Jordan Luper (violin)--8th grader, 1st year in region Corey Leung (violin)--7th grader, 2nd year in region Stephanie Hicks (viola)--7th grader, 1st year in region Katie McCown (alternate violin)--8th grader Matt Jones (alternate cello)--8th grader The elementary student who also qualified for All-Region Orchestra is Morgan McLallen (violin), a 6th grader from Shady Brook Elementary School. Tracy Morgan (violin), a 7th grader from Bedford, also qualified. (She is taking private lessons from an HEB ISD Suzuki Strings teacher.) The students auditioned for a chair in the All-Region Orchestra in November. The students were given a specific set of scales and pieces to perform for the audition. The seven HEB students had a successful audition and earned a coveted spot. Region 5 consists of HEB, Birdville, Arlington, and Mansfield schools. Guest clinicians from other organizations are invited to conduct these performing ensembles, and they will work with the All Region students this weekend. For the seventh and eighth grade students, All-Region is the culmination of this audition/clinic/concert process. For musicians in grades 9-12, it is also the first step toward qualifying for the All-State band, choir or orchestra. After the region audition, those who qualify in the top chairs of each section are certified to audition at the Area audition. Then, those who qualify in the top chairs again are certified to the All-State band, choir or orchestra. ### HEB - Empowering Today to Excel Tomorrow |
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