By Paula Bert Turner, LMPS Orchestra director
Downtown Memphis was a lively scene last weekend as nearly 1,000 band and orchestra students and their directors from all over West Tennessee converged on the Cannon Center for the Performing Arts and three nearby hotels for the 2020 All-West Convention, sponsored by WTSBOA (West Tennessee School Band and Orchestra Association).
The convention, currently the longest running annual gathering in Memphis, included honors bands and orchestras for middle and high school students, teachers’ meetings and professional development, and an exhibit hall featuring local performing ensembles, colleges and universities, and music stores.
Students rehearsed under the direction of guest conductors Thursday (2.13.20) and Friday (2.14.20) and performed on the stage at the Memphis Cannon Center Friday night and Saturday morning. Seventeen band and orchestra students from LMPS took part in the festivities, and Directors Brent Hopper and Paula Turner served the Association by chairing an ensemble and sitting on a professional development panel, respectively.
Guest conductors for the middle school bands were Susan Waters from Nashville and Mike Garnand from Southeast MS and formerly Jackson, TN. Guest conductor for the middle school orchestra was Deborah Baker Monday, noted composer and strings educator most recently from Logan City, UT.
Link to Google album: https://photos.app.goo.gl/WBk6Tz3ggKv4pQQN8
The All-West Convention happens annually in February, and students audition for seats in the honors ensembles earlier in the school year. LMPS is proud of the efforts of all students who spend the extra practice time necessary to prepare the audition material and commends the students who performed at All-West for their achievement.
The Convention showcases hard work, dedication, personal expression and fellowship; all of these benefits of maintaining a strong music education program in the local schools.
The four Orchestra students who participated were Sarah Wang, 8th grade, 4th chair violin; Marian Jamora, 8th grade, 2nd chair violin; Grace Choi, 7th grade, 1st chair viola; and Ariela Deleon, 8th grade, 6th chair cello.
Those selected for the Blue Band (top band for All West)
Dudley Nichols 1st Chair Blue Band Tuba
Omar Medina 2nd Chair Blue Band Trumpet
Samuel Carr 3rd Chair Blue Band Euphonium
Sean Chung 6th Chair Blue Band Clarinet
Those selected for Red Band (second band)
Olivia Green 1st Chair Red Band Oboe
Pierce Albrecht 1st Chair Red Band Trombone
Emelyn Robertson 3rd Chair Red Band Horn
Marie Bice 3rd Chair Red Band Euphonium
Miller McCormack 4th Chair Red Band Trumpet
Micah Roy 4th Chair Red Band Bassoon
Anandi Durgam 6th Chair Red Band Percussion
Isabella Da Silva 16th Chair Red Band Clarinet
James Ma 17th Chair Red Band Clarinet
Bennett Hale 1st Alternate Alto Saxophone
…. Band photos by Brent Hopper, director; Orchestra photos by Paula Bert Turner, director
